A Forgotten Past, An Unexpected Future
by Tozarius
Summary: Many are familiar with the Cell Games and how it changed history in many, many ways. Let us see the story unfold in a different way from before where things that were forgotten resurface, things that were ignored bring consequences, and things that would have been in other universes now altered. This starts immediately following the Cell Games. (9/17 Ch 25 is up, next in progress!)
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer**

All original content is owned by Akira Toriyama and his affiliates.

 **Prologue:**

As night falls across a vast part of the world, many people finally rest easy after the weeks of living in terror from the monster known as Cell. They sleep peacefully with the knowledge that a man by the name of Hercule Satan was the bringer of Cell's downfall. The day had been filled with mixed emotions for them all. First there was tension over the upcoming battle, then cheers of joy came when their champion, Hercule, made his stand against Cell. This was quickly followed by fear that their champion had lost for good but hope was brought alive by the weird looking guy with a golden pineapple for hair and the sudden appearance of other warriors who seemed vaguely familiar to some. The speeds that he and Cell made were so fast that people were angry that the technology of a simple camera man could not keep up with the fight but when they could see the battle rage on, the people of the earth looked on in awe at the spectacle and some would swear they could feel each punch and kick that connected as if they were right there on the battlefield. Many had trouble believing their eyes and cried out at the impossibility of such feats as energy blasts and flying acrobatics much like their champion. Others who watched knew better and hoped for the best as a last ditch blast of enormous energy from the palms of this strange fellow blew point blank into Cell. But as many would later say, that was not enough and Cell regenerated his body to continue on and batter the now exhausted golden pineapple haired man. Sure, Cell had taken some loss in his power in order to recover from that blast, but it was clear who had more stamina to see the battle to the end.

It was at this point that a smaller golden haired person was called to battle Cell. At first, everyone thought that he would be a delivery boy for something of importance since this person was just a child at only ten years old. A ten year old fighting such a monster as Cell? Yeah, right! Even Cell was scoffing at the notion. As it turned out the boy jumped into the fray to fight Cell and began putting up his own fight. He even started going toe to toe with the monster. That was until Cell seemingly took the upper hand once again and put the boy in a painful body hold. Horrifying but unable to do anything, the crowd just watched in stunned silence as the boy cried out in pain with his body slowly being crushed. They thought his bones would break and another person would fall victim to the monster's unstoppable wrath. Without warning Cell, dropped the boy on the ground and began creating miniature blue copies of himself. Was it seven or was it eight? The people couldn't tell. Regardless, Cell ordered his "children" to attack the warriors on the sidelines. Brutal beatings were handed out and the young boy was forced to watch his friends struggle and then be killed by these mini atrocities.

For some reason unknown to the audience, a robot charged at Cell and attempted to destroy Cell with some bomb buried inside its body. This maneuver didn't work and the robot was blasted to pieces for the effort. All seemed lost to everyone when the head of that robot bounced over to their champion and spoke to him. Emboldened by this detached head (some people were confused to the craziness of this thought as they pondered the day's events later on), Hercule ran with the head in tow towards the little boy to bring him encouragement. Something strange happened in the next few minutes that the audience couldn't wrap their minds around as the camera shutoff and everyone was left in the dark. Only after several tense minutes (maybe five, maybe fifteen, maybe more) did they feel the earth shaking all around them and fear the worst was coming. Panic struck all around the world as everyone braced for the end in whatever manner they felt eased their pain. Some sat down and cried some committed mass murders, but many darted here and there in frantic and futile attempts to avoid the end of their lives. Then all was quiet and for several minutes the entire world seemed to be asleep as nobody made a sound. The world continued to exist and people began to wonder if it was all just a dream or if maybe Cell had been defeated after all. Several minutes passed before sound returned to the black screens of all the televisions. It was the announcer from the Cell Games. Cell had been defeated and Hercule was their champion.

The entire world erupted into celebration. The announcer said that Hercule would be traveling to Orange Star City to receive the honorary title of World Savior later that afternoon. He encouraged as many people to attend as possible and said that all camera functionality would be restored in time for the ceremony. During Hercule's speeches in the days leading up to the Cell Games, he had convinced many sponsors that he would take Cell down and they had prepared for the occasion even though doubt crept into their minds during the show down with Cell. Still, all worked out in the end and this was one event that they were sure to make the whole world remember for a long time to come.

And so the world partied on that day after so much tension. Weirdly enough, all of the soldiers who were killed by Cell during the military strike a few days earlier returned to life. Though initial reactions from their loved ones were that of surprise and fear, everyone eventually accepted it as a miracle that happened from the heavens. Hercule would later point out that this was just a trick of Cell's doing and that he had rigged the field to ensnare all the soldiers into an underground prison he had been working on for weeks. As crazy as that sounded, it just had to be true. Who would question the words of the man who defeated Cell? At any rate, this was the time to party and rejoice with being alive and having a world to live it in for tomorrow, there would be need to rebuild many cities and towns to their former status. Not to mention, roundup criminals who took advantage of people's fear during Cell's reign of terror.

As the world partied, those who know the truth of the battles that took place seek rest in seclusion, in particular, the young boy who ascended past all previously known limits and ended the terror from Cell. Gohan could not have accomplished the feat without the aid of his father, Goku, and companions: Krillin, Piccolo, Tien, Yamcha, Trunks (from a future world), and surprisingly the Saiyan Prince Vegeta. Gohan's body was ravaged physically and emotionally during those battles. While his friend and world guardian, Dende, healed the physical pains, emotionally it would take more time to heal. When someone dies in battle the dragon balls can be called to help him or her return, even if they are not Earth's dragon balls. When someone dies in battle and doesn't want to return, it affects those connected to that person very deeply, especially if one of those connections is the ten year old son of the deceased.

As young Gohan attempts to have a normal life without his dad around, life also moves on from Cell for the world around him. How he handles his own life and that of the world around him post Cell, is where the story really begins.


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**

All original content is owned by Akira Toriyama and his affiliates.

 **Chapter 1:**

The world partied on and yet Gohan could not completely share in the happiness that everyone else on the planet felt. Sure, he was glad the brutal fights were over but after hearing his dad telepathically ask that nobody try to resurrect him, Gohan was having mixed feelings well up inside of him. With everyone on the lookout there to hear Goku's parting wishes, he too had been shocked but trusting his dad's words as Gohan always had, he didn't question his father's reasons initially. After all, Goku always seemed to know what he was doing. However; as he said goodbye to everyone to deliver the news to his waiting mother and grandfather, doubts began to cross his mind. Deciding to take his time flying home and prepare how to tell his mom the news, Gohan flew at a slow but moderate pace the long way from the Lookout as he pondered the day's events. He still felt a little upset with himself for getting cocky and pushing Cell so far into a corner that Cell threatened to blow up and take the Earth with him. It wasn't that much different than Frieza a few years ago with Namek, but unlike then Goku sacrificed his life to save everyone by taking Cell to King Kai's planet and having Cell detonate there.

 _"I still feel bad for him having to take Cell away because of my mistake but he said he was proud of me for reaching a new level,"_ Gohan pondered to himself his mood changing from one of complacency to one of guilt. " _Why did he feel like he had to leave us and not return? It would've been pretty easy to get the dragon balls from New Namek. All we had to do was ask King Kai to tell us where to go."_

Gohan kept trying to find an answer but nothing seemed come to light as he passed over the earth. Maybe ten minutes had passed and his gaze wandered below to see Central City beneath him. He noticed parades of people making their way towards Central City from various directions while waving banners and throwing confetti everywhere. He smiled and thought about how happy the world must be to know Cell is gone. His eyes briefly glanced to the north where the scarred battlefield he had been on merely a few hours ago showed its ugliness and his smile faltered. Gohan once again returned to his thoughts running around in his head like a broken record and just couldn't get rid of them.

After much thinking and rethinking his brain brought to light something that it kept dancing around but didn't want to acknowledge. "S _omething doesn't make much sense. If Dad was so quick to get to King Kai's planet, wouldn't he have had time to return to Earth?_ _Dad_ _said that he was the bringer of bad luck for Earth but as powerful as he is now, what other possible threats would be after him that he couldn't handle or that I might be able to help with? Heck, even Piccolo or Vegeta would be more than capable. Did Dad not want to be around me anymore? He was really eager to get going on with his afterlife to meet with ancient warriors who came before and train with them..._

Tears started welling in Gohan's eyes but were subdued quickly as he suddenly heard another wave of cheers erupt below him. Coming back to his senses he looked down and noticed that he was now flying over Orange Star City. Gohan stopped his flight and floated high above to peer down and see what the commotion was about. A larger crowd than the one he saw over Central City was gathering with a stage set at the central square. Some loud and rather gruff man was giving a speech to the crowd around him with four other people Gohan vaguely recognized. Gohan squinted to see what was going on and couldn't make out who the people were at his current altitude so he gradually descended just close enough to hear what was going on. As he got closer he finally recognized those people: Hercule Satan, his agent lady, his two students, the announcer Jimmy Firecracker, and the camera guy from earlier that day. His sensitive ears picked up on what Mr. Satan was saying to the gathering crowd of people from several hundred feet up.

"YEAHHH!" Hercule bellowed while posing a victory sign with his right hand to a cheering crowd. "I am the man who defeated Cell!"

"Mr. Satan," Jimmy spoke loudly into his microphone, "would you please tell the audience in your own words how you managed such an epic and astounding feat?"

All at once reporters swarmed around Hercule and practically shoved the microphones into his face. The entirety of the crowd seemed to pause in silence at this question with all their eyes gazed upon their new hero like a starving saiyan in a warehouse full of food.

Hercule kept his pose but was screaming on the inside on how to explain his "victory" and appease his adoring fans. Closing his eyes he coughed to clear his throat and spoke with pride, "Not as easily as you would initially believe, Jimmy. You see, after that little boy, who everyone I'm sure saw take a good crack at Cell had his chance, he was worn down and knocked away. Cell was using his bag of tricks to hide a mega powered cannon and fired it at the unsuspecting boy and his comrades. It took them completely by surprise! I don't even know if they survived. But I was at a different angle than the cannon being fired and I was able to sneak attack Cell from behind!"

"Oh right!" Jimmy exclaimed, "I remember that heated battle of energy waves between the boy and Cell!"

So, that was just from cannons?" He inquired to Hercule.

"Yup," Hercule replied smugly while nodding his multiple times, "Like I pointed out early on in the fight, nothin' but mirrors and hidden objects!"

"Ok, I get that much but Mr. Satan," Jimmy interrupted, "how did you manage to gather the strength after initially being knocked out, and dealing with your rather deadly stomach aches that caused you so much pain as the events played out?"

Sweat beads began crawl down Hercule's forehead at the mention of his cowardice. "Uhh, well Jimmy," Hercule began, "if you remember that robot that was blown to pieces, the head had been able to give that youngster a pep talk."

Jimmy nodded his head vigorously, "Yes, of course I do! Go on Mr. Satan!"

Hercule continued, "Well, in the end the pep talk helped our little delivery boy find the courage to put up a good fight and fend Cell's cannon with his cannon that I'm sure his comrades built for him. It's just that Cell's was stronger."

Jimmy piped up "Ok, but what does that have to do with the pep talk you mentioned?"

"IF YOU STOP BUTTING IN AND GIVE ME A MOMENT I WILL TELL YOU!" Hercule roared at a cringing Jimmy Firecracker. "I'm trying to build a mood for the crowd!"

Jimmy regained his composure and said "Ahem, sorry Mr. Satan. Please continue."

"Anyway, as I was getting to," Hercule replied, "I thought about the encouragement that the robot head gave that youngster and looked deep within myself to put aside the stomach pains and go give Cell a piece of my mind! Whether he blasted me or not I didn't care at that point! So, as he finished firing his cannon, I sneaked quietly around behind him and got into position mere inches from his ugly backside."

Everyone listening in was on the edge of their seats or feet. If popcorn had been handy a wave of crunching kernels would be heard across the city.

Hercule's voice got louder as he said, "Then I yelled my signature Megaton Punch into his ears and hit him square in the back! Cell went sprawling a few feet in front and turned around to see me standing over him! I wasted no time and began to punch and kick him and beat him to a bloody pulp for all the killings he did and all the terror he brought our world!"

Cheers and applause erupted around Hercule as he got passionate about his tale and even demonstrated his speedy punches and kicks at an imaginary opponent.

"Cell was bruised quite a bit and began pleading for me to spare him and let him live," Hercule continued, "but as I stared him down I could see the cowardice and trickery in his eyes and Cell believing that I saw through his lies backed away several feet before pulling out his last ditch weapon: a grenade. He pulled the pin, tossed it at me and started running away! But I wouldn't have that, no way! I quickly pulled out my signature Dynamite Kick and kicked the grenade back at the retreating monster! Cell took one look over his should, saw the grenade coming at his face, screamed and then he was blown to smithereens! BOOM!"

To emphasize this Hercule spread his arms wide over his head, closed his eyes and paused a few seconds. Hercule opened his eyes and finished with, "And that is how Earth's greatest champion defeated the monster called Cell!"

If the cheers and applause were loud before, they paled in comparison to the following roars of approval from Hercule's now adoring fans. "Well, ladies and gentlemen," Jimmy Firecracker hollered over the crowd into his microphone, "you heard it here from the champ himself! Hercule Satan is officially the World Savior!"

Chants of "Hercule! Hercule!" were heard as Hercule Satan smiled wide once again, posed his "V" for victory and roared "YEAAHHH!" once more.

Gohan, floated above and soaked in all these made up tales that this guy had just lied to the world about. Mouth agape, he was stunned and didn't know what to make of it.

Slowly, after a few moments of apparently blanking out, Gohan began debating whether or not to go and tell the world the truth, when his sensitive ears caught a lady's scream in an alley several blocks from the central square that wasn't cheerful. Turning his attention away from the celebration, he focused in on the area of the scream with his senses, found the general position of the scream, and rapidly descended to aid the person in danger. He followed the sound to an alley several blocks away from the ceremony.

As he got closer and prepared for an attack, Gohan witnessed what was supposed to be a robbery and assault from a couple of thugs on a defenseless woman turn into a strong willed younger girl defending said woman and giving the thugs a good beating. He floated to the top of a nearby building and watched the girl's speed which was pretty impressive for her age. The girl looked to be about Gohan's age with black hair and two short pigtails growing from her hair down to her shoulders. She was dressed in a large white t-shirt that covered most of her black shorts and was wearing black gloves and green shoes. She deftly jumped back from one of the thugs dressed in a black hoody and jeans who was skinny, but still had at least a head on the girl, as he lunged at her with his right hand in a wild hay maker punch fashion. She acted as if the punch was coming at her like a leaf falling from a tree. As soon as she was out of range and the punch targeted where she jumped from, the girl lunged at the guy in a beeline for his stomach and hit him several times in his gut. He keeled over clutching his stomach while his buddy turned tail and fled the scene in fear.

The woman who was saved began picking up her belongings that had been scattered all around her and thanked the girl for her aid. "Oh thank you young lady for your help! They came out of nowhere and pulled me into this alley to take my money!"

"It was no trouble ma'am," the girl replied with a smile and began helping the lady pick up her things. "I hope they don't pull that stunt again. Especially, this guy here." The girl said sternly and pointed to the man still clutching his stomach and kneeling on the hard paved ground. "I'll call the cops and let them know about these guys. You'd think with Cell defeated people would be more willing to just get along."

"How did you know to find me?" The lady asked as she struggled to get to her feet while gathering the last of her personal belongings.

The young girl replied handing what she picked up, "Actually, I was getting annoyed with the constant noise and was trying to get away from the crowd when I saw you being pulled into this alley."

"Well, I appreciate it," the lady replied, "Can I give you anything in return for your help?"

"No," the girl said shaking her head and smiling, "I'm just glad to help take down crooks!"

"Ok, well thanks again!" the lady said one last time as she walked back towards the crowd.

Gohan watched and listened to all of this and smiled. He felt happy to see someone doing good out of the decency of their own heart and not wanting anything in return. He was about fly off for home when he heard the guy on the ground speak.

"Hey, little girl!" the thug yelled to the girl who had her back turned for only a few seconds. She spun around preparing to hit the guy again when she was greeted with a pistol aimed at her face. She stood there in shock.

"That wasn't very nice of you to hit me like that," he said smiling menacingly as he slowly stood up. "The boss won't like how I lost a chance at money but he might like your dead body."

Gohan wasted no time in acting. He quickly transformed it a Super Saiyan and dropping down landed between the girl and the thug as the thug pulled the trigger. Gohan grabbed at the bullet as it left the gun and glared at the thug who now stood just as shocked as the girl behind him.

"And that wasn't very nice of you to try and hurt these people," Gohan said coldly before kicking the guy hard enough in the chest to send him flying into a pair of garbage cans several feet behind him. The thug was knocked out cold.

Gohan's demeanor softened as he turned around to check on the girl.

"Sorry, if I scared you like that," he said smiling, "I had to act quick or you could have been hurt really badly."

She stood there trying to sort everything out. _"This thug pulls a gun on me and nearly kills me and then this golden haired boy drops out of nowhere and stops a bullet like it was nothing!"_

A vein appeared in her forehead as her temper got the better of her. "Why did you go and do that?" she yelled at Gohan as he recoiled from her sudden outburst.

"I had that guy right where I wanted him then you show up and save me and..." she trailed off as she got a good long look at Gohan. _"Purple gi, though in shreds around the upper torso and golden hair."_

After a few moments she blurted out, "You're from the Cell Games! You're that delivery boy!"

Gohan just gave a cheesy smile and rubbed his hand behind his head out of embarrassment, "Yeah, that was me!"

 _"Boy, I'm glad I went Super Saiyan before saving her. She reminds me a little of Mom!"_

"I saw part of the fight before it cut out," she said more calmly.

Gohan looked at her confused for a second before replying, "Oh, right the camera guy! I was more focused on Cell so I forgot that he was recording everything. When did it cut out?"

"At some point after my dad took that weird robot head to you," she responded, "what was that about anyway?"

Gohan grew silent for a few moments as he remembered that part of the fight too well to want to talk about it. "That's not something I really want to talk about right now," he said tonelessly.

"Uh, ok" the girl said noticing Gohan's quick change of mood.

"Well, you're pretty good in a fight and deserve some praise," the girl commented, "you should be out there on the stage with my dad getting applauded."

"Wait, what?" Gohan asked being brought of his dark thoughts, "Hercule Satan is your dad?"

"Yup," she said smugly, "I'm Videl Satan. I'm sorry he kind of stole the title from you after you got knocked out by Cell but he did defeat Cell in the end. At least if you go out there, you can receive the proper amount of respect too."

Gohan tried to take all this in. _"So, even after everything she and the rest of the world saw Dad and I do, they still believe that Hercule is the true champion? I want to tell everyone the truth but if it leads to what is happening now and crazy reporters knocking at our door then forget it!"_

"I'm sorry Videl but I have to go now. I'm not in the mood to talk to half the world about what happened today," Gohan replied.

"But you must! They deserve to know everything that happened since the world was nearly destroyed by Cell," Videl pushed on as she grabbed for one of Gohan's hands to drag him with her.

Gohan flared up his aura and gave her a menacing look, causing her to back away. "I said no!" He yelled firmly. The ground shook beneath them as he spoke.

Gohan continued speaking as he began to float into the sky, "I'm glad you're safe and think you're a good person but I don't care for attention. What happened today was personal and I don't want to talk about it. Enjoy your celebration."

Videl could only stare in shock and wonder as Gohan's aura wrapped around him and he took off like a rocket toward his home.

Videl smirked and said aloud "Hmph, I don't know who you are Delivery Boy but one day I'll figure out your secrets. No one says "no" to a Satan."

She then pulled out her phone and proceeded to tell the police about the thugs she and Gohan defeated. She then went to the unconscious thug and tied him up so that he couldn't get away before the police arrived. Satisfied with her work, Videl walked out of the alley to view the ceremony from afar and wait for the police to arrive.


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**

All original content is owned by Akira Toriyama and his affiliates.

 **Chapter 2:**

Videl didn't have too long to wait for the police to arrive. Of course, some reporters weren't too far behind them as the minor earthquake that just occurred had caught a lot of people's attention. The police attempted to hold them back with threats of jail time while they started their investigation. One officer, who seemed to be the senior, had three others hold back the reporters and curious onlookers with barricades just outside the alley. A couple more returned with the lady Videl saved from being mugged. Being somewhat of a smart girl, though still a little green when it came to crime fighting, Videl had remembered to at least give a description of the lady she helped out so that the police could further incriminate the would-be shooter. It wasn't hard to locate the lady as she had just gone back to be with her family to celebrate with the rest of world on Hercule Satan's courageous act. As the lady was brought back into the alley with her escort the senior officer was in the midst of asking Videl her take on the recent event.

"Well Miss Satan, I must say you did a fine job of beating up this guy and tightening the ropes I see on him," the officer said as he pointed towards the unconscious thug lying on the ground near the back of the alley. He was lying face down with his hands were bound behind his back tightly with nylon rope.

Videl replied with some pride, "Thank you officer. I've been training with my dad since I was younger and taught myself how to tie knots in case I ever got into a fight with someone on the street. Although, I did have a little help-"

"Excuse me, but are you Videl Satan, as in Hercule Satan's daughter?" The lady stated in surprise while interrupting Videl.

Videl nodded at her with a smile and said, "Uh huh."

"Well, if he is your father then I have no problem believing your capabilities as a fighter now! You should consider being an officer yourself!" the lady replied happily.

"Excuse us Miss," one of the junior officers said to the lady, "Could you come over here to the robber and relay to us the events up until Miss Videl stepped in?" She nodded and followed with them to the unconscious guy to give her side of the story.

The senior officer replied, "She's right Miss Videl, we might be able to use someone of your caliber. With the recent upheaval in criminals we could use more support. Of course, you'll still need to go through some training classes like the rest of the squad just to be sure."

Videl stood there thinking it over for a few seconds before replying with a smile, "I'd love to help anyway I can, sir."

"Great, now what can you tell me about this golden haired boy who helped you out and what that large dent in the ground came from?" He asked returning to the matter at hand.

Videl replied, "Not much except that I'm positive that he is the same kid we saw fighting Cell earlier today and he caused it along with the quake. I'm just not sure how he did it…"

Before the senior officer could respond a commotion was heard from a gruff man coming just outside the alley.

"I DEMAND TO KNOW WHERE MY DAUGHTER IS!" bellowed the gruff man to the officers stationed at the entrance. One of the junior officers pointed meekly into the alley. The gruff man looked and saw Videl standing with the senior officer. She caught his stare, turned red as a tomato, and began shaking out of embarrassment. Hercule Satan stormed past the young officers blocking the alley and towards Videl and the senior officer. A trail of reporters followed him using his recent outburst as a way to get to the story.

"Videl, sweetie! Are you alright? The green horns out there told me about you fighting a crook! I wanted to make sure he didn't hurt my baby!" Hercule exclaimed.

"DAD! Stop calling me that! I can take care of myself just fine!" she retorted with her temper growing quickly and pointed to the guy. Everybody in the vicinity cringed in fear of her at the sound of her voice.

Hercule recoiled from her temper briefly before regaining his composure and said, "I'm sorry sweetie! You know how I get when you fight with someone! I can see you did a fine job to that criminal over there! Nothing a Satan can't handle! BWA! HA! HA! HA!"

Several of the reporters who followed him in took a good look at the dent in the ground and noticed how it was circular and several inches deep. "Miss Satan, do you know how this nearly perfect circle of an indent happened here?" one reporter inquired to her.

"Ok, before the senior officer was rudely interrupted," Videl glared at Hercule making him sweat, "he was in the middle of asking me about that. Well, there isn't much to go on really. I had a little help from the Delivery Boy we saw earlier today and he caused it," Videl said.

"Really?" the reporter piped up.

"He was here?" a second reporter questioned.

Another chimed in pushing a microphone into the now flustered Videl's face, "Why? What did he do? How did get here?" What-"

"ENOUGH!" Videl screamed out of frustration. Once again everyone recoiled away from her.

"All, I know is he dropped from above, helped me take that crook with his face planted in the wall down, and then he left as quick as he came. As he left, some weird light surrounded him and he created that mini crater over there before flying off into the sky! Does that answer your questions?!" Videl replied with anger in her voice. " _Geez, these guys are persistent!"_

In the meantime, the reporters were taking swift notes to get a good story out, the senior officer continued his investigation of the "crater," and Hercule began sweating profusely after hearing all of this. " _I can't believe that kid would reappear so soon! It couldn't be true! Did he come here to call me out on taking down Cell? Wait, no of course not! He couldn't have otherwise he'd still be here. Besides, it's gotta be all a bunch of tricks!"_ Hercule began thinking in fear that he would be exposed. After a few moments, he regained his composure and decided to add his two cents convincing himself that all the flashy auras he saw today were nothing but tricks.

"If you're sure it was him, sweetie, I bet he flew in with some sort of miniature jet pack and used light shows that those other guys had going on during the fight," Hercule began surmising to everyone around him.

"Dad, are you sure?" Videl questioned considering she saw it first hand and thought it was pretty real.

"Absolutely!" Hercule replied confidently.

"And besides, I'm the real champ of the world, the man who defeated Cell! I could tie knots in that kid's neck if I wanted to! I know a trick when I see one! BWAH HA HA HA!" Hercule continued as his previous fears disappeared completely thanks to his ego.

Videl smirked half out of pride, half out of annoyance and said, "Well, I don't know about tying knots Dad, but you would definitely shatter his ear drums!"

* * *

While the commotion was going on in Orange Star City, Gohan had flown all the way home and dropping out of his Super Saiyan form, he landed on the grass in front of his house. Before he could bring up the courage to walk up to his front door, it flung open and Chi-Chi rushed out yelling "Gohan! You're home!" as she embraced him in a tight hug. Normally, Gohan would feel embarrassed by his mom's antics but this time he just closed his eyes and let her have her moment as she squeezed him tight. He wanted her to have some peace before he answered the one question he dreaded answering above them all. She didn't even bother to berate him for wearing tattered clothes. His grandpa, the Ox King, stood in the doorway watching with a proud smile. He wanted to be out there but he understood that this was a time just for his daughter and her son.

A few moments passed before Chi-Chi spoke up, "Where's your father?"

Trying to hold his composure and keep tears from welling up in his eyes Gohan looked into his mom's eyes and replied, "Mom, we should talk about it inside. You should probably sit down..."

Gohan expected his mom to faint after he said that but Chi-Chi let her motherhood take over to an extent as she noticed Gohan's attempts not to cry. She nodded and said "Ok." in a low voice and walked to the front door of their house placing her left arm over his shoulders.

Some minutes later Gohan sat down on a chair in the living room facing his mom and his grandpa. He took a few deep breaths before telling them what happened and gave a brief account of what happened after the camera went out. Gohan didn't have the heart to tell her that he felt guilty for Goku making the sacrifice since deep down he was blaming himself for what happened. _"I'm not sure I like having all that power. Even after Dad was gone, I still felt like I wanted to make Cell pay even more."_ Gohan thought to himself as he told his story.

"Dad…sacrificed himself to save us but Cell came back stronger than before and I had no choice but to finish him," Gohan explained some tears trickling down his face, "Dad contacted me telepathically and gave me encouragement to keep fighting and with everyone's help, even from Vegeta, I was able to finish Cell off."

Gohan paused and gazed down at his hands balled into fists over his knees as his mom began to sob uncontrollably. She slumped to her knees and buried her face in her eyes.

"But Gohan," his grandpa piped up, "we can still use the dragon balls to bring him back right?"

Gohan responded after a heavy sigh, "Dad contacted us while we were summoning the dragon and asked that we didn't wish him back. He said he wanted to stay dead to keep the world safe. Dad felt like he was the reason for the earth's troubles so Dad's not coming back but he seemed happy…so maybe we should be happy too."

He got up as he said this and tried to comfort his mom who was now bent over on the floor crying openly. The Ox King sighed and replied, "Well if Goku has a good reason then we should all just trust in your dad's judgement." His eyes were tearing in spite of himself.

"Everyone is probably going to ask when and where we want to have the funeral for Dad," Gohan said after a while. Chi-Chi had stopped crying loudly was just sniffling as she had to time to calm down. The Ox King handed her a tissue and she used it to dry her eyes.

"Don't worry about it for now Gohan," she replied softly while getting to her feet, "I'll go start making an early dinner. I'm sure you're starving."

"Mom, I'm actually not hungry right now," he replied.

"I know you aren't now but you have your father's appetite and you will be soon, sadness or not," Chi-Chi replied more sternly, "Plus, you grandpa needs to eat too and I just need something to take my mind off of today for a little bit."

Gohan looked at his mom with a halfhearted smile as she got up to walk into the kitchen and start making dinner, "Ok, Mom, if it makes you happy. I always do look forward to your cooking!"

Just wanting to just turn his brain off from thinking so much, Gohan began looking for the TV remote to turn on some cartoons or something mind numbing when he finally noticed the demolished TV laying next the living room window.

"Um, Grandpa?" Gohan asked the Ox King with a shocked expression on his face, "What happened to the TV?"

The Ox King just looked at Gohan with a sheepish grin while scratching the back of his head and replied, "Your mom's temper."

* * *

 **Author's Note 10/4/2017:**

It took some time to get this out (life just gets in the way sometimes) but here is Chapter 2. Definitely more coming along after this as ideas keep writing themselves in my mind and in drafts. Thanks to everyone for reading and being patient!

 **Author's Note 10/10/2017:**

I noticed some typos and made grammar corrections. It figures that would happen no matter how much you proof read your own stories! I am working on the next chapter now. I hope to have it out within the next week.

Glad everyone is enjoying these!

To Anonymous: Wouldn't we all like to see Hercule put in his place? It was tempting to do something like that but a little out of character for Gohan and the direction things will be going. That doesn't mean karma won't come back and bite him at some point.


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**

All original content is owned by Akira Toriyama and his affiliates.

 **Chapter 3:**

With a broken TV to stare at, the Ox King and Gohan took a little walk outside to get some fresh air and leave Chi-Chi to herself for a time. Gohan didn't want his mom to hear it but he told his grandpa about the encounter with Videl on his way home. The Ox King was rather disgusted to hear that Hercule was stealing Gohan's credit so blatantly but he understood Gohan's position and promised he wouldn't push for the world to know the truth. Still wanting to know what sort of trouble that man could stir up; the Ox King said that he would go back to his house and get a spare TV for use. He knew Gohan wasn't in the mood but he wanted to know what was happening in the outside world. Gohan nodded and watched his grandpa leave while he lay down in a nearby field of flowers and stared up at the streets of puffy clouds floating by. Ironically, he had been in this same field only days before with his dad and Krillin. Gohan tried to recreate the peace he had felt then by closing his eyes and lay there for some time. Surprisingly, the events of the day finally wore on him as thoughts traced back to his dad and Cell. Gohan dozed off for a while and before he knew it he was being shaken awake by his grandpa saying dinner was almost ready. It had been over two hours and the Ox King had come back from getting his TV an hour after leaving. When he returned he saw Gohan asleep and decided to let him nap until dinner time. As they entered the house and sat down to eat the feast in front of them, the phone rang. Chi-Chi got up to answer it.

"Oh, hi Bulma, "Chi-Chi said, "what's going on?"

She turned to look at Gohan and his Grandpa and gave them a "go ahead and eat" motion while she listened to Bulma.

"Well, I had time to think about it and to make things easier maybe we should just have a farewell party," Chi-Chi said over the phone.

Gohan stopped mid-chew with some noodles dangling out of his mouth and stared at his mom in confusion.

"GOHAN!" Chi-Chi yelled suddenly surprising everyone in earshot of her, "I know I've taught you to have better table manners than that!"

Blushing Gohan finished slurping his noodles and swallowed his food behind a napkin while replying, "Sorry, Mom."

"One second Bulma," Chi-Chi said putting the phone down and spoke to Gohan and his grandpa, "I was telling Bulma that it would better to have a farewell party for your dad. She said Trunks wants to return to his own time sooner than later and I didn't think we'd want anything too formal. It wouldn't be your dad's style."

Gohan thought about it for a second and replied, "I guess that makes sense." His grandpa nodded in agreement.

"Ok, now if you wouldn't mind eating a little more civilized I'm going to make some plans for the farewell party with Bulma," Chi-Chi stated to a now red faced and nodding Gohan.

"That goes for you too, Dad! I heard that slurping noise! It's a wonder Gohan doesn't just eat like a barbarian!" Chi-Chi exclaimed while scolding her equally red faced father who was hastily wiping food off of his beard.

By the time Gohan and his grandpa had finished eating; Chi-Chi finished talking with Bulma and sat down to eat her portion, barely lukewarm at the time.

She had a few quick but graceful mouthfuls before speaking about the recent phone call.

"So, the plan is like this. Bulma is making calls to everyone to come and will have a caterer make all the food. It will be tomorrow in the early afternoon. Bulma said she will take care of everything. She said to think of it as an actual party and we will be dressing up to look nice. Gohan, you are wearing a nice suite. No fighting outfits!" Chi-Chi stated before returning to her meal. Gohan nodded in defeat knowing that fighting with his mother over what to wear would get him nowhere.

"Ok, Chi-Chi that works for me," the Ox King replied glad to see his daughter in more normal spirits despite her temper. He got up to clean up his dishes and said, "I'm going to go turn on the TV and see how the world is faring. Don't worry; I'll keep it down as I'm sure you two might not want to listen to it at all. His daughter nodded between quick bites as she ate. It seemed strange to him that she was eating so voraciously and yet so "civilized" as she put it but cooking for the past few hours probably worked up an appetite for her.

"I think I'll just go outside and sit in the grass until it gets dark," Gohan said, "I just want to clear my mind. Thanks for dinner Mom; it was delicious as always."

His mother and grandfather both nodded and watched Gohan carry his dishes to the sink before walking back outside. The Ox King gave his daughter a quick loving squeeze on her shoulders before entering the living room to watch the TV. Chi-Chi finished eating her meal and started doing the dishes. She glanced briefly outside to see Gohan sitting down and spreading his legs over the grass. He leaned back and stared up at the colorful sky watching as stars began twinkling and a full moon began shining brighter as the sunset on the horizon. She sighed as she went into her own world while cleaning up. " _I hope this sadness disappears soon. I want to tell Gohan the good news but maybe I'll wait a little bit longer. It might cause more harm than good right now."_

Less than an hour later the sun had set and the moon shone brightly in the sky, dwarfing the stars in its borrowed brilliance. Gohan had been staring it for what seemed like an eternity to be awoken from his gaze by his mom telling him it was time for bed. Slowly, he stood up and dusted the grass off his pants before walking back into the house. He paused in the living room to ask his grandpa how the world was doing as the Ox King turned off the TV to make his bed in the living room.

"So, Grandpa is there anything new to report?" he asked.

The Ox King replied cheerfully, "Nothing you don't already know. Mr. Satan has been declared the World Savior by King Furry but I suspect he doesn't believe Mr. Satan to be the real hero. Maybe there are more believers in you out there than we thought."

"That man has horrible manners and should be ashamed of himself," Chi-Chi piped up as she walked into the living room with blankets for her dad, "but I'm glad that there may be more people out there that know my baby is the real hero."

Gohan just stood there blushing from the warm support his family gave him for a few seconds before walking into the bathroom to clean up for bed. He finished up, said good night to his mom as she was going to her bedroom. She gave him a quick kiss and hug and replied "good night" as well. Gohan went into the living room to speak with his grandfather before going to bed.

"Hey Grandpa?" Gohan asked in an audible whisper as he entered the living room.

His grandpa was getting ready to turn off the lights when Gohan entered. "You want to know what they said about you, right?" The Ox King replied kind of sadly and knowing why his grandson was there. Gohan nodded in response.

"Well, how can I say this nicely…" the Ox King paused before continuing, "the reporters question how someone can do what you can do but they also had an interview with Mr. Satan and he gave his opinion stating that everything you and our friends did today was nothing but tricks and showboating."

Gohan had a frown on his face as he replied, "I guess that's to be expected but what did you mean by putting it nicely?"

"Oh, ha-ha, well you know how arrogant that guy is," the Ox King replied sheepishly, "he wouldn't stop boasting how he'd taken Cell down with different forms of punches and kicks of his own making. But it seems that his daughter was more apt to believe in your abilities than her dad. She was interviewed too and even though she had her doubts I could see in her face that she wasn't sure about her dad's reasoning."

Gohan chuckled at this slightly, "That makes me glad she isn't completely like her father. I saw her in action and I thought she was a good person just stubborn and hot tempered…kind of like Mom-"

The Ox King had to stifle full on laughter after hearing that and snorted rather loudly. He calmed down after a few moments and said, "Well, at least you're used to that personality. Get some sleep kiddo, tomorrow is a busy day." He wiped tears from his eyes after the giggle fit he was in and Gohan nodded giving him a quick hug.

Gohan walked off to his room and lied down in his bed. Even with the nap from earlier in the day, Gohan still felt extremely tired and fell asleep not long after closing his eyes.

His grandpa lay down as well and closed his eyes preparing to sleep as well with his last thought for the day. " _I hope you don't hear how badly Hercule insulted you and your dad. If you think you're mom's temper is bad I don't want to see what you inherited from her._

* * *

 **Author's Note 10/16/17:  
**

Yes, if you haven't already noticed there is some fluff entered throughout the story. It felt necessary but don't worry if you think there won't be any more action. It's coming.


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer**

All original content is owned by Akira Toriyama and his affiliates.

 **Chapter 4:**

The day after the Cell Games, many people awoke to hangovers and big messes to clean up. The Son Family and friends awoke to a beautiful spring day on the outside but the pain of loss filled them on the inside. After a rather small breakfast for Gohan (he only had five or six helpings as opposed to the dozen or more he usually takes), he spent roughly a half hour dressing himself in the suit and tie Chi-Chi laid out for him. He wondered how his dad ever managed to get his spikey hair through a collar like his as he had a similar problem with the suit. He finished adjusting the clothes to his satisfaction mere moments before Chi-Chi called to see if everyone was ready to go. Chi-Chi preferred that she, Gohan, and his grandpa arrive via car as a family but much to her disappointment the Ox King opted out of driving with them. He thought he would be too big to fit in a vehicle with them so he drove in his car while Gohan and Chi-Chi rode the Nimbus cloud. Chi-Chi kept fussing over the wind ruining their clothes so she ordered Nimbus to travel at a moderate pace that took them nearly three hours to arrive at Capsule Corporation. By the time they arrived it was after noon and Gohan felt his stomach rumbling slightly. Surprising to him, he could have sworn his mother's did the same. As they approached the grounds he could see caterers hard at work finishing up food preparations. He was slightly relieved and had to chuckle at the thought that they were probably cooking for a hundred people in their minds but in reality only a little more than a dozen people would be there.

Gohan and Chi-Chi got some weird looks from the caterers as they landed on the grounds of Capsule Corporation. Chi-Chi yelled at them, "WHAT?! You've never seen a cloud before? And isn't it impolite to stare? Shame on you!" They quickly returned to their cooking with faces as red as tomatoes and noted not to bother that lady again.

As Gohan and Chi-Chi got off Nimbus, Bulma appeared from inside one of the giant buildings and called out to them, "Hey Chi-Chi! Hey Gohan!"

"Hi Bulma!" Gohan and Chi-Chi replied.

The Ox King walked in through the nearby front gate and waved at Bulma with a smile on his face while she waved him over.

"Well, it seems the guest of honor is finally here," Bulma said cheerfully.

Gohan looked at her with a confused look on his face, "What do you mean by that, Bulma?"

"You really are your father's son," Bulma replied chuckling, "With the world thinking Hercule Satan is the hero, you didn't think your friends and family would ignore the real champ did you?"

Gohan just blushed out of embarrassment and stared down at his feet. "Don't worry we won't get too crazy about it. You really are too humble though ya know," Bulma replied with a wink.

"Anyway, the food should be ready in the next half an hour or so. Everyone is waiting for you in the back area. Surprisingly enough, Vegeta decided to join us without my asking him to," Bulma stated as she turned to show them the way to the gathering.

Chi-Chi, Gohan, and the Ox King followed Bulma to the back of one of the buildings where a banner with WORLD CHAMPIONS was hanging over a large table that had a giant cake on it. Gohan walked up to it and stared in astonishment at the detail of the cake. Seven dragon balls were surrounded by Shenron with words neatly entered in blue underneath: "Thank you Goku and Gohan for your sacrifices."

Gohan couldn't help a small tear trickle down his cheek after seeing this. Several shouts of surprise brought him back to his surroundings. He was caught off guard as Krillin, Trunks, Tien, Yamcha, Master Roshi, and Chiaotzu gathered around him with formal congratulations and sympathies over Goku's passing. Piccolo was leaning against a nearby tree adorned with his cape and turban smiling at his student. Gohan smiled back and gazed around at everyone smiling at him. His eyes passed another tree near Piccolo where Vegeta also stood leaning. His arms were crossed and his face was without smiles but he turned to look at Gohan and gave him a quick nod before returning his stare to inner and more private thoughts. For as long as Gohan had known Vegeta, he understood that to be the highest sign of respect he would get from the Prince of Saiyans.

One of the caterers came rushing up to Bulma, "Excuse me, Miss Briefs?" he inquired to Bulma, "There's a young woman with blonde hair at the front gate who wishes to join you. She said her name is 18 for some reason-"

A short bald monk rushed up to the caterer nearly knocking him over, "Eighteen is here?!" Krillin exclaimed. "Don't worry Bulma, I'll save you the trouble and let her in." Krillin giddily rushed to the front gate amidst everyone's shocked expressions. He came back moments later, blushing cherry red with Android 18 walking at his side.

"I said you could take me to the party. I didn't say you could take my hand," she said menacingly to Krillin as she stomped past him in a huff and walked right up to Gohan.

"I wanted to come here and express my gratitude for saving me and my brother from that monster. You're alright in my book, kiddo." She said smiling at him.

Everyone looked at her in surprise and waited to see what Gohan would say.

"Um, thanks ma'am," Gohan replied scratching the back of his head and smiling, "Did you want to join us and have something to eat? There's going to be plenty, and I don't think Bulma would mind if one more person joined us do you Bulma?"

Sure kid, if that's what you want," she replied with a smirk.

Android 18 just smiled at him, "How sweet. The strongest kid in the world has the manners of a true gentleman." Everyone just laughed at that. A few moments later the caterers announced that the food was ready and even Vegeta couldn't keep his interests from the thought of food. The party carried on with food and drinks for the next several hours. It wouldn't be a party without some adult themed drinks and not surprisingly Master Roshi had a few too many of those. The red handed prints on both sides of his face from Bulma and Chi-Chi were clear evidence, not to mention a large bump on his head after Android 18 slapped him headfirst into a nearby tree. Even in his saddened state, Gohan couldn't help satiating his growling stomach and along with Trunks and Vegeta, he devour over half the food prepared for the party. Though as his stomach became full, Gohan felt his mind wander back to his dad and walked over to a lone tree to have some alone time. Most of the people were too busy chatting and having a good time or fighting over who's plate was who's (Oolong and Yajirobe got into a tussle over the prime rib). Gohan's sudden departure was easily noticed by Piccolo, Chi-Chi, and Bulma.

"You think he's going to be alright?" Bulma questioned to Chi-Chi as Gohan sat down next to his tree of choice and stared up at the sky.

"I keep hoping for it but I'm just not so sure," Chi-Chi replied, "maybe if I tell him the good news he'll snap out of it."

"Oh right, _that_ good news," Bulma said with a smile. "Any idea on the gender?"

"Well, seeing how hungry I am these days," Chi-Chi stated after clearing a third plate of food, "I'm guessing a boy at this point. Seems to be giving me an appetite like Goku's."

Bulma burst out laughing and Piccolo just smiled at the thought of another "Goku" scarfing down food.

"How far along are you? You look really well for being pregnant." Bulma said curiously.

"Well, I think it's been close to four months at this point. Considering how I was before Gohan was born, I should be showing clearer signs soon enough," she replied after wolfing down her fourth helping of food.

Chi-Chi looked over at Piccolo and asked, "What do you think Piccolo, should I tell him soon?"

A little taken aback that Chi-Chi would ask him for advice Piccolo took a moment to compose himself and choose his words carefully before saying, "It might help. I'm no expert on human pregnancy but it would better to tell him before he starts noticing on his own."

Chi-Chi nodded, "Ok, I'll let him know in after the party."

Bulma piped in, "This may be a wild thought but Gohan might also need something to take his mind off of Goku's passing for a bit. Why not try getting him to find kids his age? I know he has good friends here but we aren't all exactly young kids anymore."

"Hmm, maybe he should go to a real school instead of being homeschooled," Chi-Chi thought aloud, "That way he would be able to meet kids his own age."

"That might be a good idea," Bulma said, "he's the smartest kid I know but friends are just as important as an education..." Her thoughts trailed off as she saw Vegeta getting up from the feast and going over to an open grassy area to sit down.

"Excuse me Chi-Chi but I need to go have a word with my husband," Bulma said getting up and walking over to where Vegeta sat down.

"Husband?" Chi-Chi inquired as she stared at Bulma, "Since when were those two married? And how much did she drink today?" Piccolo just smirked in amusement and shrugged his shoulders.

"What do you want woman?" Vegeta asked without turning his head around to face Bulma sitting down next to him.

"For starters, you to show me a little more respect," Bulma said with her temper starting to show. "And second to ask a favor of you."

"If you're asking me to change the child's diapers you can forget it! Build a robot or get your mother to change those 2 dozen mud balls!" Vegeta replied stubbornly.

"Ok, first of all its only 1 dozen and second I'd rather my mother change OUR son's diapers than have your filthy sweat stained hands that haven't seen soap in a week touch his bare bottom!" Bulma shouted making everyone in earshot of her nervously sweat drop.

Vegeta just glared at her for a few seconds before giving a "Hmph!" response and turning his head out of disgust.

Bulma calmed down and said with a serene smile, "The favor I wanted to ask you is a little more serious than that if you give me a few moments of your time oh, great master!"

Vegeta looked back at her sighing and said, "Ok, what do you want?"

Bulma replied, "At least hear me out on this. I think you should be a sort of mentor for Gohan. And no, before you jump to conclusions I don't mean you have to babysit him or spend time with him every day." She noticed Vegeta readying his own argument as she spoke. "What I'm getting at is that he is half-Saiyan and needs someone who knows what growing up as a Saiyan is like, especially during the teenage years of life."

Vegeta considered her words for a few minutes before replying, "What would I gain from helping Kakarot's son?"

Bulma spat at him, "What would YOU gain? Sometimes you can be so thick headed! You would gain more Saiyan pride in knowing that you were able to continue the legacy of the race you always seem to brag about! Or at the very least a sparring partner who's strength can match that of your bloated ego!

Vegeta sat silent for a moment with his head down staring at his lap. Bulma replied more softly, "At least think about it will you? Except for Trunks, you two are the last of the great warrior race you always take pride in. I know your past with him and Goku has been rocky but I really think Gohan has full respect for you as a warrior."

Silently he stood up and said in a low voice for only Bulma to hear, "A sparring partner is pointless when you don't have the will to fight anymore." Bulma just sat there shocked not knowing how to reply to what she heard him say as Vegeta walked over to a large tree trunk and leaned against it while crossing his arms.

* * *

As the sun became lower in the sky everyone had finished their food and drinks (some had begun sobering up with surprisingly light hangovers) and gathered nearby where a lone time machine sat ready to depart for the future.

"Mom, it was nice to see you so young," Trunks said to Bulma who was holding her sleeping baby.

"Be sure to take care of my future self and yourself" Bulma said with watery eyes, "Go show those androids what for."

Trunks nodded and turned to face Gohan, "Gohan, I'm glad I got to meet you at a younger age. Even now I still see you as my mentor. Thanks for showing me how to go to new heights." Gohan just smiled and nodded in response.

Trunks glanced over at the nearby building and saw Vegeta leaning against it with his arms crossed. Smiling, Trunks gave a quick sign of goodbye. Vegeta returned the same sign without a smile but the glint of pride showed in his eyes. Not wasting time, Trunks hopped into his time machine and began setting the coordinates for his own time in the future.

"Wish me luck," he said as he hit the button to close the hatch and in a quick flash of light he was off to finish his fight. Earth's greatest warriors gave shouts of "Good luck!" and "Good bye!" as the light faded and the time machine was gone.

Not long after Trunks' departure everyone began saying their goodbyes and thanking Bulma for the party. Surprisingly to everyone watching, Android 18 decided to follow Krillin back to Master Roshi's island. Krillin volunteered to carry Master Roshi back since the Turtle Hermit wasn't feeling too well. The Ox King offered to come back to Mount Paozu for one more night with Gohan and Chi-Chi but she declined saying that they would be alright. Plus, she wanted to talk to Gohan privately.

As she and Gohan rode on Nimbus back to their home Chi-Chi was the one to break the silence. Choosing to just get it out in the open she said point blank, "Gohan, what do you think of having a little brother or sister?"

* * *

Krillin, Android 18, and Master Roshi arrived at Kame House roughly an hour before the sky would be completely dark. Master Roshi slowly trudged into his house and opened his medicine cabinet for some pain killers. Krillin went into the kitchen to make him some strong tea and after a few minutes of boiling the water with his ki, Krillin brought the tea in a mug to Master Roshi.

"Master, I think I'm going to go with Android 18 to a nearby island and watch the sun set with her," Krillin said.

"Ugh, fine fine," the old man replied, "better a young man like you have his time with a fine young woman like her. You best leave this old man to rot."

"Ok, thanks for understanding Master!" Krillin replied to a sweat dropping Roshi, "Don't wait up for us!"

Before Master Roshi could say anything in response, Krillin was out the door and flying away with Android 18. Sighing loudly and sipping his tea, Master Roshi settled into his chair and closed his eyes. Thanks to the medicine, he was feeling better but he was really tired and just wanted to relax for a bit. Roughly ten minutes passed and a harsh knock at his front door woke him from the doze he fell into. Grumbling to himself, the old Turtle Hermit stood up and walked to his front door.

"Geez, Krillin!" he said loudly, "You don't need to knock to enter. You practically live here since you eat me out of house home seven days a week-"

The Turtle Hermit stopped speaking as he opened the door to a familiar looking old man with winged looking hair who was wearing a crane style hat and yellow and green clothing.

"Good evening, Master Roshi," The Crane Hermit said with a sneering smile, "I know this is sudden but I really need to talk to you. And believe me, if it weren't important I wouldn't be here."

* * *

 **Author's Note (10/29/2017):**

Interesting developments are in the air. Next time on Dragonball Z...AU or Fanfiction? I don't know, choose your fancy. Enjoy and Happy Halloween!


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer**

All original content is owned by Akira Toriyama and his affiliates.

 **Chapter 5:**

Gohan was sitting in his mom's lap on Nimbus lost in thought over his dad's decision to stay dead when his mom asked her question "Gohan, what do you think of having a little brother or sister?"

His mind was caught off guard as he said "What do I think of having a little brother or sister...?" It took him a few seconds to register what he was saying aloud before a genuine smile crept across his face. He turned around to look at his mom who beamed a smile right back at him. It really made Chi-Chi feel happy to see that spark of innocent happiness Gohan had been missing the past couple of days.

"You mean I'm going to be a big brother?!" Gohan said nearly shouting gleefully as his smile seemingly grew wider.

"That's right, Gohan" Chi-Chi replied cheerfully, "I'm going to need you to be the man of the house and help me out when the baby comes!"

"How long until that happens?" Gohan asked excitedly.

"I know I don't show it now but my belly should be getting bigger in the next few weeks so maybe 4 to 5 months from now," Chi-Chi replied thoughtfully.

"Wow!" Gohan exclaimed proudly, "By the end of the year I'll be a big brother!" Chi-Chi just smiled back and hugged her first born tightly as they both giggled out of happiness for a few moments. Gohan's face changed to a more serious expression as he said, "Mom, I'll do the best that I can to help you out around the house."

Chi-Chi replied fondly, "I appreciate that but for right now, all that I ask is that you get back to your studies and do your best there. Though, they can wait until the day after tomorrow. I know you still need a little break."

Gohan said, "Thanks Mom! You're the best!" She gave him another quick smile as he turned around to face the direction Nimbus was taking them home. He noticed that the sky was fairly clear and growing dark as the sun was starting to set. He was about to turn and look at the beautiful sunset when his eyes fell across the moon and like the previous night he felt captivated by it and just stared in wonder for a while. Honestly, he couldn't remember the last time he even looked at it. He could have sworn it was around the time he started training with Piccolo but his mind felt fuzzy just trying to remember. He knew it was several years back but to him the beauty and vastness of the full moon's glow just dulled his brain as if he was being hypnotized. " _Pretty moon, shimmering white light, so calming and innocent...like a newborn baby..."_

After sometime the sky was completely dark and stars were beginning to dot the sky and share it with the moon. Gohan was brought out of his daze as Nimbus began descending to their house near Mt. Paozu. With his thoughts returning in full swing to having a future sibling around, he found himself asking out loud, "Mom, when did you find out you were pregnant?"

Chi-Chi was pulled out of a doze she had started falling into as they got off Nimbus and replied after a big yawn, "That must have been about a month ago now."

Now fully awake Gohan was even more curious about it, "Oh, ok but why didn't you tell us about it then?"

"Well, that was around the time that the androids were going to appear and I didn't want to hinder yours and your father's training," his mom explained. Chi-Chi paused before continuing, "and when your dad was well, sick with that virus I was just so focused on trying to get him better that I completely forgot about it for a while."

"Ah, when did it come back to you?" Gohan asked as his happiness draining away to the mention of the past month's events. The Sons were now standing at the front door as Chi-Chi rummaged through her purse for the keys to open the door. Gohan called back to Nimbus as he flew off into the sky to thank him for giving them the ride back home.

"Actually, it came back to me the day your dad recovered fully and nearly wrecked Master Roshi's island in the process!" Chi-Chi replied turning the knob and stepping into the house with Gohan at her heels.

"I wanted to tell you both then but like your father always did when he was focused on getting stronger, he left to get you and I didn't see you two until after you guys returned with news of that...monster announcing the tournament," she continued. Gohan's happy mood was all gone as he listened to his mother's explanation.

They walked into the living room and sat down on the couch and looked at each other. Even though she had been able to cope with Goku's passing all day, Chi-Chi's eyes and voice betrayed her as she continued speaking, "I know. You're wondering why I didn't say anything leading up to the tournament." Gohan nodded not feeling the sadness that his mom showed as he just felt numb. Chi-Chi continued, "Well, your dad has always been able to bring us hope in the darkest of times and I wanted it to be a surprise for him when he came back. I believed in your father and that he would come back with you alive and well. Then I could tell you both more good news to add to the celebration. But I guess even your dad had to break his promise to keep us safe."

Gohan immediately perked up at her last statement and asked, "Wait, what promise did Dad make?"

Chi-Chi remained silent as the tears flowed more freely and she said, "Well, right before he took you to that time chamber, your dad promised me he would come home after defeating Cell."

Gohan just bowed his head and stared at his hands now pushing hard into his knees and said nothing for several minutes as his mom tried to calm herself.

"I'm sorry Gohan," she spoke softly, "Maybe I should have told you earlier on afterall."

"It's ok Mom," Gohan said sharply, "You did what you thought was best."

She started to smile out of relief but noticed that Gohan's head was still lowered and his hands were tightly squeezing his knees, "Gohan, you can tell me what's bothering you-"

Gohan abruptly stood up and Chi-Chi saw a face her son hadn't made since he yelled at her several years ago for keeping him from going to Namek with Krillin and Bulma. Gohan was struggling internally and trying to keep his emotions in check but couldn't any longer. With the last shred of rational thought and before Chi-Chi could do anything else he rushed out the front door and and into the front yard of the house. As Chi-Chi stood up to figure out just what happened in the span of a few seconds, she heard Gohan scream loudly from outside, felt the ground shake all around her as she stumbled to keep her balance and was momentarily blinded by a bright yellow light flashing outside. The shaking caused several stacks of clean dishes in the kitchen fall to the floor and shatter along with wall decorations falling and breaking.

Motherly instincts taking hold she rushed outside to Gohan and saw him standing in the yard with his hair in golden spikes and a golden-yellow aura with blue electricity wrapping around his body. Chi-Chi had heard Krillin and Piccolo talking about it but she had never seen what a Super Saiyan 2 looked like until now. Without any hint of warning Gohan began powering up a powerful ki blast in his hands as he clasped them together, palms facing outward and up at the dark sky. Gohan shouted "MASENKO-HA!" as loud as he could into the night as a bright yellow-orange glow formed in his hands. Within seconds a beam nearly the size of the Son House erupted from his hands and rose high into the dark sky. The beam kept firing for nearly half a minute before it died down and Gohan let his hands drop to his sides, his aura and blue electricity still going strong. Typical sounds of the night animals that were going on in the background mere minutes before were completely hushed. No sound except a small breeze rustling the trees in the distance could be heard.

Chi-Chi had to shield her eyes as Gohan let his energy fire and she struggled not to be knocked backwards. She actually felt scared of Gohan as he screamed out into the night and let all his frustrations out. She tried to shake away her fear and let her mothering take hold of her as she walked over to Gohan slowly but still making sure he heard her coming. After what felt like minutes, she was within hugging range and timidly reached out to hold her son but she just stopped inches from touching Gohan. A strong surge of fear overcame her and Chi-Chi just couldn't bring herself to touch her son. _"Come on Chi-Chi he needs you! He's your little boy and he wouldn't hurt his own mother!"_ Finally summing up the courage Chi-Chi was about to reach out when Gohan turned around to look at her and she jumped back a couple of steps out of surprise, stumbled backwards and fell on her rear.

Cell would know the cold, murderous look in Gohan's teal eyes staring back at his mom. "Mom, please don't mention Dad around me anymore," Gohan replied in a dangerously calm voice.

"Wh-What?" Was all Chi-Chi could muster.

"Dad may be one of the greatest fighters the world has ever known but he is a lousy father!" Gohan yelled at her, "Do you want to know why? Because he would rather spend all his time fighting with long dead warriors for a stupid challenge then come home to the family who needs him!"

Chi-Chi was too shocked at Gohan's outburst to reply in any other manner than a timid voice, "Gohan, sweetie, why would you say such a thing about your dad?"

His temper flaring and aura rising with it once more Gohan shouted through tears, "Because he told me when I was trying to wish him back! If he won't come back for me or you, why would he come back for a future child?! Dad is as good as dead to me!"

Ignoring all of her thoughts but one, Chi-Chi stepped forward and hugged her son tightly. Gohan, in shock over his mom's actions, dropped out of Super Saiyan form completely as his hair and eyes reverted to black and onyx. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around his mom and returned the hug as his tears fell on his mom's shoulders. After some time he finally regained control of himself.

"Mom, I'm sorry you had to see me like this," Gohan said solemnly, "But I'm really angry with Dad and I don't know when I'll be able to forgive him."

Chi-Chi turned his head so she could look him eye to eye and replied softly, "Gohan, I know how you feel but you're just going to have to find a way to do that in time. I'm sorry you got pulled into this mess and feel this way but you future sibling is going to need you to be a positive influence."

A sad smile spread across his face as Gohan said, "I won't promise I will, but I'll promise to try for you."

"Well, that's a start," Chi-Chi replied with a smile forming as she hugged her son with another tight squeeze. _"Friends his age, a good education, and no more fighting are just what my baby needs! I don't ever want to see him like this again!"_ She thought to herself.  
As Chi-Chi hugged Gohan, her hands came across a tear and something that felt odd in the back of Gohan's pants.

"Gohan, why do you have a tear in your pants? I know these are brand new and you didn't get into any fights today," Chi-Chi asked.

Gohan immediately began rubbing his hands across his butt to find out for himself when he felt something warm and fuzzy near his lower back. After a few seconds of trying to figure it out the realization came to him and he shouted out loud in surprise, "Mom! My tail grew back!"

* * *

Master Roshi just stared at Master Shen for several moments before finally speaking, "It has been a long time Shen. Forgive me if I'm not too eager to just let you into my house but the last time we met you had sworn revenge on all of my students."

Master Shen gave a quick sneer before speaking, "You are wise to think that Roshi, but I'm not here for vengeance, I'm here for closure really. I want to put my affairs in order and knowing what really happened at the Cell Games is a good start. If you think for a moment that I'm going to believe that obnoxious, glory hogging oaf was the one who beat Cell, you are sadly mistaken old friend."

Master Roshi snorted and gave a quick chuckle at that statement before returning to a more serious tone of voice, "Alright then Shen, out with it. Why did you come to me specifically and not anyone else, like Tien for that matter?"

Shen replied just as seriously, "Because if you must know, I'm not in the mood to talk to traitors and you and I go way back. We were once akin to brothers before things changed between us and I was hoping to confide in my old friend with my darkest hour approaching."

"What do you mean by _'_ darkest hour'?" Roshi inquired eyes locking with Shen's behind his sunglasses.

"I'm sure you've seen the news lately, Roshi" Shen retorted curtly, "Aside from that oaf and the Cell Games, there has been a heart virus going around with no known cure. I've got that virus as well."

Master Roshi looked at Shen without saying a word for a few moments before finally speaking up, "Come on in Shen and share some tea with me. It seems we do have some things to talk about after all." He turned around and lead Master Shen into his living room.

"Thank you, Master Roshi," Shen said courteously as he followed Roshi into Kame House.

* * *

 **Author's Note (11/14/2017):**

I really wanted to keep going with this chapter but working, traveling, and life in general just get in the way. Hopefully with the holidays starting up soon I can spend more time writing. Thanks to everyone reading, favoriting, and following this story! I appreciate your interests in the craziness that is my mind. I'm no where near to finishing this thing so it will be growing for quite a while.


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer**

All original content is owned by Akira Toriyama and his affiliates.

 **Chapter 6:**

With the sun dipping lower into the sky, a golden light cast over both marital arts masters who were situated comfortably at Master Roshi's kitchen table sipping tea. After a few silent moments of the two sipping tea, Master Roshi spoke first.

"So, Shen what was the last thing you remember seeing on the TV?" Roshi asked as he took a sip of his second cup of tea.

"Basically what the rest of the world saw with that young boy screaming at the top of his lungs before everything went black," Shen replied also taking a sip of tea.

"Well, that young boy is Gohan and he's Goku's son. He's the one who defeated Cell," Roshi said.

"Hmph, well then that makes some sense. At least more than that buffoon. I figured the man with the golden spiked hair and orange gi was Goku but I don't understand why his and his son's hair were yellow?" Shen said curiously.

"Shen if I gave you the full story, we'd be here for the next week," Roshi replied with a chuckle, "but knowing how you don't care for nonsense, I'll skip the filler bits."

"Fair enough, Roshi. You do know me pretty well. I'd rather not spend the night as I have other things to attend to so please continue on," Shen said sporting a grin of his own.

Roshi nodded and continued "Just take my word for it when I say that Goku is an alien known as a Saiyan from another world long since destroyed. He has trained fiercely to unlock hidden depths of power over the years to reach a state called Super Saiyan and trained young Gohan in a similar manner to do so himself. That is why you were seeing Goku and his son with golden hair."

"And the other two who could also undergo this transformation are also Saiyans?" Shen asked taking another sip of tea.

Roshi nodded and said, "They also have trained hard to reach the level that they did. The shorter one is known as Vegeta who was the prince of the world he and Goku hailed from. The taller one we call Trunks is also responsible for us being alive. Would you care to open your mind to the idea of time traveling Shen?"

Master Shen put his tea cup down and stared at Master Roshi with a frown on his face and said, "Normally I'd never believe in such nonsense, but considering it's coming from you and what I've heard so far, I'll open my mind this time. Go on."

Roshi nodded and started his tale with the day Frieza and his father King Cold first set foot on Earth and the arrival of Trunks from the future. He recounted what transpired during the meeting with Trunks. Roshi paused at the mention of the heart virus and how it would affect Goku but Shen made an impatient "go on" motion with his hands while sipping more tea. Roshi nodded and returned to his story. Shen listened intently to the parts of the first contact with Android 19 and Dr. Gero, and then what happened after Androids 16, 17, and 18 were woken from their slumber and Cell's first appearance. Roshi spent several more minutes describing how Cell obtained his perfect form and the end of the Cell Games which further captivated Shen's interests.

"Well, Roshi that is quite a tale to take in," Shen replied after mulling over everything Master Roshi told him.

"Yes," the turtle hermit spoke as he finished sipping his tea and set the cup down on the table, "It's just a shame Goku had to sacrifice himself to help take Cell down."

Shen stared at Roshi trying to hide a sneer, "Hmph, that is too bad, and here I thought he'd come out on top after having medicine from the future hand delivered to him in a neat package!"

Roshi raised an eyebrow at this to Shen and said, "You seem to be somewhat joyful to hear his passing."

The crane master eyed the turtle master for a few moments before replying in a sincere voice, "Forgive me if that upset you but you are aware of my past grudge with Goku and hearing his defeat in battle is somewhat satisfying to me. Like it or not."

Roshi tried to hold his temper in check and spoke more fiercely than he intended to, "Well, just be sure you don't go rejoicing to the world about it or that may cost you a few limbs."

Shen laughed and said, "Please don't discount my years of studying martial arts, Roshi. I can handle myself just fine."

"Are you sure about that?" Master Roshi inquired, "Cell was far beyond any of us and only Gohan and Goku could go toe to toe with that monster. And I don't think you're anywhere near any of their levels."

"Don't tell me what my limits are Roshi!" Master Shen spat standing up and knocking his tea cup to the floor, causing it shatter, "I may not be able to handle someone at that level, but I haven't just been sitting around wasting away like an old turtle who's rotting in his shell!"

Roshi stared at him with an angry glare and spat back, "Who said I ever stopped trying to improve myself you dithering dodo! Just because I have multiple hobbies doesn't mean I can't work out now and then!"

"Multiple hobbies?!" Shen yelled incredulously, "As far as I'm concerned you only have one and I wouldn't call that a hobby! More like a dirty old man's obsession with the female anatomy! No wonder you can't get any woman to stay around you! Even your sister won't come near you if it's not in her interest! Not that being an old coot is helping either!"

Roshi stood up now filled with anger he couldn't control and shouted "Who's the old coot here? You've got more wrinkles on your face than I do!"

Both master glared daggers at each other and then began hurtling multiple insults back and forth.

"OLD TORTOISE!"

"AIRHEAD!"

"PERVERT!"

"SENILE OLD COOT!"

"WASHOUT!"

"WINDBAG!"

They took a pause to catch their breath after the shouting match and just glared at each other for a few moments. Roshi took note of Shen's sudden movement of his right hand to his chest and immediately lost all anger he was feeling for the Crane Hermit.

"I'm sorry if what I said touched a nerve Shen," Roshi replied more calmly, "but Goku was family to me so I'm not exactly happy that he's gone."

Shen took a few more breaths to calm himself before giving his own reply, "I won't take back what I said, but I will admit that he was a true warrior."

"Well, maybe you will come to reconcile with your past grudges and perhaps open up to your former students in time?" Roshi inquired.

"Maybe Roshi, time will tell what comes to pass for us all," Shen replied after a moment of thought.

Roshi spoke again, "If there was any of that heart medicine left over, I'd be happy to get it for you but it was a limited supply. Although, I'm sure that if you give it time, a cure could be developed in the next few years. History has been changed after all," Roshi replied with softness in his voice.

"Sorry, Roshi but I'm not willing to wait that long. The pain grows stronger by the day and even with getting a fresh supply of Paradise Grass, it doesn't stop the pain only slows the progress. I went got a fresh supply not too terribly long ago," Shen stated back.

Roshi just looked at Shen with sadness in his eyes as Shen continued talking, "It's a minor annoyance now but several months ago it was only random occurrences and I have been to doctors who were more useless than Paradise Grass."

"Shen if there is anything else I can do-" Roshi began before being interrupted.

"Actually, there was one other reason I came here tonight, partially out of hope. Do you have a way to find the dragon balls?" Shen cut in.

Roshi stared at him agape for a few moments before speaking, "I guess I shouldn't be surprised you know about them but how do you know about them? I don't recall ever mentioning them to you and that's not a well-known thing."

"Tao told me about them and I did some research over the years on the matter," Shen replied.

"Ah, ok. Well, what you would need is a dragon radar but I don't have one in my possession. The only person I know who does is Bulma Briefs," Roshi said.

"THE Bulma Briefs of Capsule Corporation?" Shen stated louder than he intended.

Roshi nodded and said, "But there is one small problem. They were recently used to bring people who were killed by Cell back to life so you have about a year until they would even show up on the radar. Can you wait that long?"

Shen pondered that for a few moments before finally replying, "I guess I'll have to consider that but only time will tell."

Shen then stood up from the table and crossing his arms behind his back, walked over to the kitchen window to gaze out at the last of the sunlight sinking low into the horizon. Roshi sat watching the sun set as well until Shen turned to face him in the growing darkness.

"I suppose I'll get some more of my affairs in order to be safe then. Though it pains me to say this, Roshi, I appreciate you telling me about everything. I think it's time I take my leave," Shen said pushing his chair in and readying himself to leave.

"Now that I think about it, how did you even get here?" Roshi asked as he stood up to see Shen out, "You're knocking woke me from a nap."

"Tao drove me here and I told him to come back after it got dark out so he should be showing up any minute now," Shen said.

"Never imagined your brother would learn to drive," Roshi mused out loud.

"Well, he does like to drive at high speeds every now and then. Flying via trees sometimes gives him unwanted attention when he lands," Shen explained as he looked outside to see if his brother was coming. "He does have a job that requires discretion and no outside involvement to put it nicely."

"I'll pretend to ignore that last part thank you Shen," Roshi replied uncomfortably.

The sound of an engine and waves splashing in the distance signaled the arrival of Mercenary Tao to the two old masters. In the next few minutes a hover car with bright headlights parked on the sands of the small island. Shen walked out the front door of the house and Roshi followed behind but stood just outside the door. He watched as Shen opened the passenger side door and got in. Shen rolled down the window, waved with his right hand, and gave shout back to Master Roshi, "I'll be in touch, _old_ _friend_."

Roshi returned a wave of his own as the car engine started up and it sped back out to sea making big waves as it disappeared into the darkness. He gave thought to the strange meeting he just had with the Crane Hermit " _I hope things work out for you, old friend. You've been lost to the darkness for so long I wonder if it's possible for that to change even now."_

His thoughts turned away from the recent visit to his shadow and Master Roshi instinctively looked to the sky. Noticing a full moon overhead he exclaimed, "Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle!"

* * *

"How was your visit with that old geezer, dear brother?" Mercenary Tao asked Master Shen as they drove across the ocean and began approaching land in the distance.

"Insightful to say the least," Shen replied, "I felt a touch of nostalgia speaking with Roshi again."

"Am I detecting softness in my older brother's heart after all these years?" Tao inquired with amusement.

"More like a moment of weakness that won't be happening again," Shen replied in annoyance, "Let's go take a look at the site where the Cell Games took place. I want to see it for myself."

"I scoped out the area after dropping you off and it looks like a barren wasteland. Fortunately, there is no sign of anybody having visited since the battle yesterday, but my sensors did indeed pick up something," Tao responded and Shen nodded in reply.

"That was fast for being gone for such a short time" Shen acknowledged.

"I parked this car on an island further south and found a good tree to use for a quick flight," Tao explained.

"I also _acquired_ an electronic map and put in the coordinates for the exact location. I'm aware of your distaste for my flying method so I've made sure that even by car it won't take too long to get there," Tao said with a slight grin.

Shen grunted in annoyance and then asked curiously "How much did the map cost? I know you can be a penny-pincher."

"Only one," Tao replied indifferently, "He was very cooperative but you know I can't just ruin my reputation for weaklings."

"Ah well, this world is full of them. Of course, in our line of work if we can profit from ridding the world of weaklings or other unwanted pests it would help me put my affairs in order for sure," Shen said.

"How do you propose to do that?" Tao asked curiously.

"We have some time before we get to the site. I'll tell you what Roshi told me and then I'll share some of my ideas on how to put that to good use," Shen explained.

"Very well. I'm all ears, brother" Tao replied back.

* * *

"What do you mean your tail's grown back?!" Chi-Chi exclaimed.

Gohan let go of his mom and turned around to show her his furry, brown appendage growing out of his lower back. He willed it to swish around a little for her to notice completely. Chi-Chi looked at it and gave it a quick and gentle touch before letting it go.

"Why would it grow back now after being gone for so many years?" she asked.

Gohan felt a cold sweat come over him as he wised up to what had happened rather quickly, " _I've been looking at a full moon the past couple of nights and there's a full moon over my head right now! Ok, no need to panic! I'll just turn around casually and look directly at Mom. No need to panic her either!_ "

Gohan took a few deep breaths to calm himself, kept his eyes close to the earth, and turned to look at his mom. He could barely make out the moonlight in his peripheral vision but kept his focus on anything but the light. After what felt like an eternity he found himself staring in his mother's eyes once more and locked onto them as if life depended upon it.

Feeling guilty but not wanting to make her panic stricken he just replied with a sheepish smile, "I dunno Mom, maybe it has something to do with puberty since I'm half-alien?"

Chi-Chi pondered this for a moment before suddenly pulling Gohan into another hug and practically knocked the breath out of him, "Ohhh, my sweet little baby is growing up right before my eyes! It all makes sense now! You're getting taller, your sudden mood swings, and now your tail!" she shouted and started sobbing all over again to a thoroughly embarrassed Gohan.

"Mom-" Gohan tried to speak as she hugged him tight while still in hysterics, "Can't...breathe..."

Suddenly she let go giving Gohan room to take deep breaths, "Sorry, sweetie but you know how I get when I think of you growing up!"

As Gohan tried to catch his breath she began pondering out loud, "Actually, if it really is puberty you need someone to tell you what to expect in the next few years so that one day I can have grandchildren! Krillin was always close to you maybe he could-"

"MOM!" Gohan shouted blushing profusely, "You had me read books on that about a month ago but to talk about it with Krillin?"

"Now, Gohan it's all perfectly natural," Chi-Chi spoke more sternly.

"Mom, why are we even talking about this?" Gohan asked his face now beet red.

" _And with my own mother!_ " he thought to himself in disgust.

"Well you mentioned your tail and puberty and I just got to thinking about the future a bit is all," Chi-Chi replied matter-of-factly, "By the way do you remember why your tail was even removed? I asked your dad about it once but he just shrugged it off as being no big deal."

Gohan took this a shock as he remembered his dad telling him about the real purpose of his tail after they had defeated Vegeta when he first came to earth. " _Dad never told her what he told me about a Saiyan's power? Great! Now what do I tell her? That I have a giant destructive monster inside of me that will come out if I just take a peek at the moon? That'll go over well! But I can't just lie to her...wait a minute! It was a weakness too! That might make it easier and won't be a complete lie!"_

"Mom, do you remember when we fought Vegeta the first time he came to Earth and Piccolo uh...took me to a training camp to help fight against him?" Gohan asked.

"Somewhat. I still don't know how Bulma fell in love with a guy like that and I completely forgot to give Piccolo a piece of my mind on that matter," Chi-Chi said getting angry at the mention of her baby being kidnapped.

"Well, anyway, when training with Piccolo, he removed my tail because he thought it might be a weakness. I have vague memories of when you or Dad would pull at it when I was a toddler and I'd cry because it hurt," Gohan explained.

"Ah, yes I remember your father doing that because he said it hurt him when he had his tail growing up too. So he wanted to make sure you didn't fall for that weakness," Chi-Chi recalled.

"But Piccolo didn't know that and pulled it off while I was asleep one night. I think he wanted to give me a fighting chance himself," Gohan added.

"Ah, well I guess Piccolo isn't that bad of a guy anymore and Vegeta has shown some good qualities too," Chi-Chi thought aloud.

 _"Great! She bought it! I didn't even think to mention Vegeta's transformation. I'm glad I don't have to explain that too! Hopefully I can keep it a secret until I figure out what to do!"_ Gohan thought as he smiled to himself and breathed a sigh of relief.

"You know, I just touched your tail and you didn't flinch at that at all, "Chi-Chi said curiously.

"Maybe my body remembered and adjusted to it," Gohan said shrugging.

Still feeling antsy about the moon having an effect on him, Gohan tried to steer the conversation away from his tail, "Mom, I don't want to cut it short but is it ok if we go inside now? I'm actually feeling kind of tired and want to get some sleep."

"Oh!" Chi-Chi exclaimed, "I'm so sorry, Gohan! You're right! It is late; let's go get ready for bed now."

Gohan helped his mom stand up and walked at a quick pace to the front door of his house. His mom trailed behind him and noticed his quick rush to get inside watching as his regrown tail swished behind him. " _That was rather odd. He's not always so eager to go to bed like this, but it has been an emotional day for him. Ah, there I go worrying again!"_

Sometime later Both Chi-Chi and Gohan had gotten into their nighttime clothes. Gohan made a hole in in all his underwear and pants so that his tail wouldn't feel bunched up and tight. Including his room, he also went around the house and closed the curtains over any windows while looking away from them so he wouldn't fall under any unwanted trances. Chi-Chi noticed this strange behavior as he returned to his room and got under the covers of his bed.

"Gohan, why did you close all the curtains around the house?" She asked as she made sure he was tucked in and ready to sleep.

"Oh, because I didn't want the light to bother me while I try to sleep, and if I need to use the bathroom I want it dark. That light is really bright now," Gohan said making up a quick but not complete lie.

Chi-Chi looked at him puzzled and said, "But you'll stumble in the dark and trip without it."

"I'll be careful and I have a nightlight too," he said reassuringly.

Chi-Chi was still baffled over her son's logic but he was still a kid so she decided to let him have his kid logic and smiled, "Alright, whatever makes you comfortable."

"Get some sleep and maybe you'll feel better in the morning. Goodnight Gohan," Chi-Chi said kissing her son on his forehead and getting up to go to her own bed.

"Goodnight Mom," Gohan replied as he closed his eyes and grateful for the temporary but still good fixes to his problems, he finally felt exhausted enough to turn over and fall asleep.

* * *

A matter of hours after leaving Master Roshi's house, Mercenary Tao and Master Shen neared the site of the Cell Games. The Crane Hermit had finished telling Tao what he heard from Master Roshi.

"Very interesting stories indeed," Tao replied thinking over what Shen had told him and laughing joyously, "Goku was an alien all along. That would explain his quick rise to power over us. Good to know my revenge is partially complete with him gone!"

"Yes, very true brother," Shen replied deep in his own thoughts, "We'll work on fully completing it in time."

"We don't have that much time with your condition, Shen," Tao replied with a more serious demeanor.

"No, but the Paradise Grass will keep me going for a while yet and I hope to gain some more insight from our destination," Shen replied, "Are you sure that you detected something of importance there? I don't want to waste my time on a wild goose chase."

"Positive," Tao replied with a bit of annoyance, "The sensors in my eyes have been upgraded in the past few years and they definitely picked up on some sort of signal."

Shen gave a glance to the map they were using and noticed that their dot was practically touching the coordinates of the Cell Games, "Well, looks like we've found our destination-"

A sudden blue beam of light the size of their car rushed at them in a head-on collision. In a split second Shen and Tao had opened their doors and jumping to either side of it, they managed to dodge the incoming beam by inches. The car and beam traveled to a cliff several miles behind them and exploded into a fiery cloud of dust and scrap metal.

"Hmph, that car cost me several million zeni," Tao spat out of annoyance while getting to his feet.

Shen on the other hand was already on his feet and had a face mixed with terror and fascination as he stared at the direction the attack came from.

What are you looking at-" Tao started before his scanners picked up what he noticed earlier that day and he also saw what his brother saw. Beads of sweat appeared on his face as he was paralyzed by fear he hadn't felt in a long time.

Several shadowy figures stood roughly fifty yards in front of the two assassins, their features blurred by darkness as the brothers were adjusting to it after being partially blinded by the bright light from the energy beam that nearly killed them. Several clouds had also been blocking the moon overhead and as they passed by letting the moonlight spill over the area, it became clear who had shot the beam. A round ball of light was being formed near one of the figures as if readying to fire.

Trying to compose himself and sporting a grin Shen spoke with shaky confidence, "I am Master Shen and this is my brother Mercenary Tao. If you would let me speak before firing a killing beam at us, we might be able to help each other out as I'm sure we have similar goals."

The ball of light grew stronger for a few more moments before the figure creating it suddenly received a sharp blow to its head and the light disappeared entirely. Something bounced a few feet away and the figure collapsed on the ground. The other figures darted away from the fallen body in a flash and one of those moving away had quickly created a large ball of its own (roughly the size of a car) with its hands outstretched. Without wasting time a beam of yellow light fired from the palms of its outstretched hands directly at the fallen figure and incinerated it in an explosion several yards wide. Within seconds the remaining figures landed close enough to Shen and Tao to shake hands and caused the duo to jump back out of fear.

One figure in the middle of the remaining members spoke in a high pitched voice, "Let's try this again. Our brother acted too hastily and did not share the rest of our opinions."

Shen and Tao just stared at them trying to process how quick their actions were in the last half-minute.

"We know who you are and would like to hear what you have to offer," It said with its face contorting into a devilish grin, "If we approve maybe we can work something out. If not, we'll just kill you."

* * *

 **Author's Note (12/3/2017):**

The next chapter is finally out!

 **Trunkssan766**

No worries on the emo-Gohan thing. He will have his feelings of anger but I'm not completely changing his character from the show (Gohan age 10-12). While I can appreciate other writers' views on a version of Gohan more serious, more emo., or just 180 degrees of difference from the show, I'm not always a fan of that either.

 **SaiyanIncubus**

I have to admit that isn't a criticism I was expecting. I'm positive I've seen other writers do that so it never crossed my mind. I can't guarantee that will change a lot but I will try to space out where I can.

 **Son of Whitebeard**

Teatime is here!

 **pr0dz**

True the staying dead thing was to build up Gohan's character. It's being used in this story in a similar fashion but changes are in the works.

 **serus black antihumannature**

Longer chapter is here! Goku has a good heart and all that but even if unintentional, he still neglected his son...for fighting...even if it was just filler.

 **Anyone else I missed** **or just started following/reading**

Thanks for reading and thank you for your patience on this chapter! This was the longest chapter yet and roughly double that of the others so hopefully it makes up for the lack of writing. Maybe I'll try to keep with a longer chapter style going forward.


	8. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer**

All original content is owned by Akira Toriyama and his affiliates.

 **Chapter 7:**

Master Shen worked up the courage and smiled at the six short blue figures standing before him. He couldn't help but feel fear trying to take over. Beads of sweat formed on his face but he maintained his composure and a look of confidence. He knew that if he showed any signs of fear the already risky deal he was willing to make would be destroyed in an instant and his plans along with it. Shen shot a side-ward glance at Tao and noted a similar attempt to show no signs of fear towards these creatures. As both men adjusted to the darkness, it became clear that they were looking at the children of Cell. Taking a few moments to clear his throat and cough into his right hand, Shen crossed his arms behind his back and spoke as eloquently and fearlessly as he could.

"Very well, I'll keep it short and to the point then," he said gaining confidence, "You want to bring your father back and I want to exact long awaited revenge on Master Roshi and all his students. I think both can be accomplished if we work together."

The blue Cell Junior who threatened them sneered as the other five kids laughed derisively and then he spoke in a high pitched voice, "And if we get what we want you know both you and your brother will die."

Mercenary Tao spoke before Shen could, "My brother and I have discussed that already. We want to see our enemies destroyed even if that means our own destruction. You see, my brother currently has an illness that has no known cure and it is slowly killing him as we speak and this world means nothing to me if he isn't around. We originally expected to be killed when the Cell Games were announced."

Shen nodded at this and said with a hint of anger, "Yet here we are and our enemies still live. If I can't be around, then they aren't going to be either!"

After some mumbling between the six remaining children, the one signaled out as their leader spoke again, "Alright, what do you have in mind?"

Shen stated smugly, "We can help you achieve your goal using the dragon balls."

"Impossible!" the leader of the Cell Juniors said, "Kami merged with Piccolo making the dragon balls useless! We know this because our father was told so before becoming perfect!"

Tao and Shen turned to one and exchanged looks of surprise. Shen sent a telepathic message to Tao, " _Did you know that King Piccolo was more than one being?_ "

Tao replied, " _No, but let's not worry about it now. We can gather as much information as we can from them after we appease them more_."

Shen nodded and returned his gaze to the Children of Cell with a slightly puzzled look and replied, "I had no idea that the current incarnation of Piccolo and this Kami were originally one being. There's so much I never knew! But I assure you they still exist. I met with Master Roshi earlier today and he said a wish was made to bring back people that Cell killed."

Cell's children began talking among themselves again but not too quietly that Shen and Tao couldn't hear them.

"This doesn't make sense but if it's true we can get Father back sooner than we originally thought!" the leader said.

Another piped up. "Yes, but how _is_ it possible? Did the Namek unmerge or would they have gotten another Namekian?"

Some more mumbles from them before a third Cell Junior chimed in, "That must be it! Goku had the Instant Transmission ability! He could have found where the other Namekians went and brought one back to earth!"

Shen overheard some of this and to further bring them to his cause he added, "Regardless, it should be easy to find the dragon balls now that Goku is dead."

The faces of Cell's children lit up at the mention of this news. The one signaled out as the leader spoke again, "So it's true. Goku was killed in the battle?"

Shen and Tao both nodded. The leader sneered and said, "Well, he wasn't too much trouble in our battles but had he been fighting at his best he would have been the second hardest to kill. This is still good news to hear!"

Shen had to ask the burning question at this point, "If I may, how did you survive your battles? And if you didn't know Goku died, how are you standing here before us?"

Tao also added, "And for that matter how is it that you can speak so well? When we saw you in battle we were led to believe you couldn't speak at all."

All six Children of Cell snickered deviously at this before the leader replied for them all, "That stupid kid didn't finish the job he thought he had."

He added more bitterly, "When he defeated each of us, he literally kicked and punched us into dust. Had he vaporized us with an energy beam like he did to our father, we wouldn't have had the chance to regenerate."

"So, you did see the end of the fight?" Shen asked incredulously.

The Cell Junior to his right spoke this time, "I briefly saw and my brothers felt what happened."

Another Cell Junior chimed in, "Like our father we can regenerate ourselves so long as even one cell of our bodies remains."

"But as we learned recently," The leader spoke again still somewhat bitterly, "Our regeneration isn't as fast or as complete as our father's so we slowly regenerated over the past day. As for the speaking problem, we've had it in us all along but it has taken a little time to develop. We were just born yesterday and haven't completely developed everything we inherited from Father. We'd love to put that brat in his place after what he did to us!"

A wicked sneer appeared on his face, "But enough of this for now. If what you said is true we're interested enough and won't kill you right away so long as you hold true to your word."

Shen and Tao sighed internally out of relief. So far, their plans were taking shape.

Shen took this chance and said, "We appreciate you wanting to work with us. Since our enemies used the dragon balls yesterday we'll have to wait a year before we can track them down. I'm also aware you'd want to lay low until we can make the wish you want so we'd be happy to accommodate you at our home," Shen said still trying to appease them as best he could, "And there is no need to threaten us again, our only wish would be to see our enemies suffer and then die."

"With that being said we'd ask of something small in return that might amuse you," Tao said while carefully choosing his words.

The leader of Cell's children eyed him closely and said, "What is it?"

Shen spoke in turn, "Train us and our students to be stronger so that we can have the chance to kill our enemies and/or make them suffer. We understand that you and your father will want to take care of the boy but Tao and I want to personally finish Master Roshi and Tien Shinhan ourselves."

Mercenary Tao added quickly, "We train assassins at our school and they are used to acting in secret. We may be able to help you amuse yourself over the next year while you wait to make your wish."

A devious smile crept over the leader's face and he had to laugh out loud at the prospects being made.

"You've really thought this through and are intent on watching the world burn!" he said as he continued laughing gleefully with his brothers.

"Maybe we will help you out. It does sound more entertaining than waiting a year doing nothing. Much as it pains us to admit, that kid would destroy us instantly if we were found out," the leader said after regaining a more calm composure.

As the other Cell Junior's nodded and murmured among themselves Shen and Tao looked at one another and telepathically talked for a few moments.

Shen said, " _So everything is working out for us but are you sure you're willing to die with me? With all the funds we can acquire in the next year I can ensure you get off the planet when Cell is returned to life."_

" _That is gracious of you Shen but as much as I hate to say it, we've bonded quite well since the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament,"_ Tao replied grinning, _"Funny how our hatred of a common enemy worked so well. At this point, if you aren't around in this world, I have no desire to be in it either."_

 _"Very well, brother"_ Shen said sporting a genuine smile, " _Funny indeed. It seems to be paying off with Cell's children also. Let us set the world ablaze together and then go out with a bang."_ The lead Cell Junior spoke up silencing any further discussions, "Enough talk! We've been talking too long and need you humans to take us to your hideout. The earlier need to eliminate our stupid brother could have brought us unwanted attention and we still have yet to fully recover. We'll talk more there after some rest."

Shen and Tao nodded as Tao pulled out a pod full of other capsules, pushed the top button and tossed it a few yards to his left. After a small explosion of smoke, a windowless hovering car appeared.

"I hate driving with no top or windows," he said as he and Shen got in and sat on the seats, "I get all sorts of bugs in my face."

"Just shut-up and drive!" Shen hissed angrily, "Unless you'd rather they solved that problem by removing your whole head!"

Tao glanced at the Cell Juniors and noticed their growing impatience over waiting and started the car. "Fair point," he replied while the engine roared to life. He hit the accelerator and they cruised off to their dojo at a fast pace. The Cell Juniors sped along on foot behind them and kept their energy hidden to avoid being detected by any unwanted guests.

* * *

Though uneasy and filled with dreams he didn't like, Gohan awoke the next morning after the sun had rose enough to shine gold and red light into his window. As he came to the world with his hair messily splayed over his pillow that he found his face well planted in, the uncomfortable dreams faded away. He tried to remember what they were but all that came to mind was uneasiness and confusion. His tail swished behind him as he slowly lifted himself out of his covers and sat on the side of his bed, legs dangling over. Gohan yawned and wiped sleep from his eyes before groggily setting his feet on the floor and standing up he walked to the bathroom for his morning ritual. As he finished and walked over to the sink to wash his hands and face for the day, his eyes darted to the mirror and he took a good look at himself in his pajamas. After a few moments of staring, he finally awoke to something he had forgotten about in his sleepy state: his tail! It had become second nature to him so quickly that he forgot all about the previous night's events and began thinking on what to do about his new situation. A strong aroma filled his senses and he became aware of his mom cooking breakfast in typical early morning fashion. His stomach hollered for the home-cooking and he happily darted to the kitchen figuring ideas would come as he filled his empty stomach.

Chi-Chi had her back to Gohan as he made his way to a table already starting to fill with food and sat down. She was busy cooking several amounts of eggs over the stove but her mother's ears heard Gohan enter the room and sit down at the table.

"And here I thought I'd have to wake you myself," Chi-Chi said turning around and smiling at her son.

"Morning, Mom!" Gohan replied with a small smile of his own.

Chi-Chi nodded and returned to finish the eggs she was making and said, "Go ahead and dig in before your stomach causes a small earthquake in my kitchen. I'm making more after this batch and I'll have plenty for the three of us to eat."

Gohan didn't need to be told twice. Without hesitation he said, "Thanks!" and dug into the hearty meal in front of him.

Though hungry and feeding his appetite, Gohan made sure to be "more civilized" as his mom put it and ate at a pace his dad would consider cruel to starving animals. Chi-Chi had finished the last of her cooking and sat down with him to indulge herself as well.

After some time, Chi-Chi was the first to break the quiet and say, "Gohan, I know I promised you a day off from school work today but while you are out and about as I'm sure you will be could you pick up some groceries for us?"

Gohan finished what was probably his seventh helping and replied, " Sure, Mom. Can I bring it back this afternoon? I thought about what I wanted to do today and I'd like to go pay Dende a visit. It would have been nice to see him yesterday but I know he has a busy job now."

" _And I can get some advice from Piccolo while there too!_ " he thought to himself.

Chi-Chi nodded and said, "That's fine. I'll give you the list and a couple of capsules to put the food in before you go. I just want you back home in time for dinner is all."

Smiling and finishing up with his mind clear on what he wanted to do Gohan replied, "Thanks, Mom! I'm going to go clean up and get dressed."

She nodded while eating her smaller though still fairly large portion of food as Gohan put his dishes in the kitchen sink and went to clean up and change.

With the sun higher in the sky and morning light touching more ground than just his house, Gohan was dressed in the new purple gi Piccolo had given him at the party as a gift and ready to leave. Gohan still felt proud to wear something that his first teacher had given him and wanted to show Piccolo how much he appreciated it. Gohan said good-bye to his mom and with the list of groceries and capsules she had given to him in his pockets; he enveloped himself in his ki and flew off like a rocket towards the Lookout.

As he soared through the morning light, Gohan took notice of a weird feeling and once again realized it was just his tail. He turned to look over his shoulder and was slightly amused to see his tail "flapping" in the wind. " _This is too weird. I have my monster transforming tail back, I am able to become a Super Saiyan and probably the strongest person in the known universe, and I haven't even hit official puberty yet! What do normal human kids my age go through?"_ he thought to himself.

Reaching near Korin's Tower, Gohan turned his flight at a sharper angle and he ascended higher to the Lookout. It came into view in a few short minutes and he proceeded to land on the grounds as a familiar voice shouted his name.

"Gohan, I'm so glad you came to visit!" Dende yelled as he ran up to greet his friend.

Gohan waved and smiled as he dropped his aura and walked over to Dende. They gave each other a brotherly hug.

A deeper voice from behind Dende spoke, "I didn't expect to see you so soon after the party, Gohan."

Piccolo walked over with a genuine smile on his face as he eyed his former student. "Have to say, that gi really does look good on you kid," He said grinning.

"Ah, shucks Mr. Piccolo." Gohan replied smiling sheepishly while scratching the back of his head, "I'm glad you approve since you're the one who made it!"

"So, why are you here anyway?" Dende asked out of curiosity.

"Well, I did want to see you again Dende, but I really wanted to talk to Piccolo about something important," Gohan said with his cheerful nature slowly turning more serious.

"If it's about your outburst last night," Dende said before Piccolo could ask anything, "We figured it was just you venting off some steam. It was scary at first since your energy signature dwarfs everything else at full power, but I realized who it was with Piccolo's help."

"Don't sweat it, Gohan," Piccolo said nodding, "We trust you completely."

Gohan stared at the ground, hands behind his back and rubbed his feet together out of nervousness for a moment before replying, "Then, would you trust me enough to keep my Saiyan tail?"

As he spoke he mentally willed for his tail to swish out in the open so that Dende and Piccolo could see it.

Beads of sweat appeared on Piccolo's forehead as he grew nervous but Dende just stood in shock and curiosity over Gohan's furry appendage.

"Why would that be a problem?" Dende asked, "I didn't even know you could have a tail."

Gohan turned to Dende and said somewhat apologetically "Um, it's a little complicated but I'll try and explain to you in a few minutes. It's basically another transformation I can do."

Dende nodded and waited for Piccolo to respond.

Piccolo eyed Gohan closely and if anyone other than Gohan had been looking back, it would be as if he were peering into their soul. "This is a strange development even for you Gohan. I'm going to assume that your outburst last night had something to do with it?" he questioned.

Gohan nodded feeling slightly shameful, "That and maybe because I was drawn to watching the full moon these past couple of nights."

Piccolo nodded and said, "And you know how dangerous it could be if you transformed?"

Dende just looked between Gohan and Piccolo in complete confusion trying to follow what they were talking about.

"I do," Gohan began saying, "But if I were able to train and control it like my Super Saiyan forms then I could use it to protect the earth. I've been thinking about it and back when Vegeta was our enemy, Dad said I transformed during that battle and saved us from his wrath. Dad was able to reach out to me and bring me to my senses a little."

Piccolo sighed and said, "I do remember your dad telling me that when we trained for the android threat, but that was a long time ago and you haven't had any actual training with it."

"I know that but…I also lost control fighting Cell and this wouldn't be too much different! I was hoping that you could help me with some mental training so that I can control the transformation like Vegeta did," Gohan replied almost pleading.

"If it's removed again it'll be like I'm losing a part of myself. I never realized how much I missed my tail until it came back to me," Gohan added.

Piccolo crossed his arms, closed his eyes and thought hard about what Gohan had to say for several minutes. Opening his eyes and giving a faint smile he finally replied, "Alright, I get what you're saying Gohan. If you decided to turn evil right here and now, no one would be able to stop you, so I don't see a difference there. And you're right, it is a part of you and should be something you can further develop through training. I'll help you with the mental training part. It should help you control your Super Saiyan 2 form better as well."

Gohan's darkening face lit up as he said, "Thank you so much Mr. Piccolo!"

"But how are you going to test yourself without endangering the earth? I'm sure your power now would be thousands of times stronger than when you were a little kid so I don't need to tell you what would happen if you can't handle it," Piccolo added out of concern.

"Well, I was hoping I could use the time chamber and also the same trick that Vegeta used," Gohan replied.

"What trick was that?" Piccolo asked curiously.

"Well, Dad said that Vegeta created a fake moon with his own energy. I'd have to ask Vegeta how he did it, but I don't remember it taking too much energy to make," Gohan said with enthusiasm, "So, if for some reason I couldn't control it; I could trust someone to blow up the fake moon and I'd return to normal!"

"Oh, right. I blew up the moon after...uh, your first transformation," Piccolo said faltering his words as he noticed the look on Gohan's face.

"That was a long time ago. If you thought I would let you take me down that easily kid, then you would have had no right to call me your teacher," Piccolo said with a smug smile.

"Besides, it got you down off that cliff you had so much trouble getting off of," He added with a grin remembering how annoyed he felt that first night training Gohan.

"Wait a minute, I remember that! You were there the whole time?" Gohan asked somewhat bewildered.

"And even as a whiny little brat, I thought you had a brain! How do you think those two apples got up that high with no trees around what-so-ever?" Piccolo asked laughing at Gohan.

Gohan just stood thinking back to that night as best as he could remember and realized his mistake. Smiling out of embarrassment he said, "Heh, you're right Piccolo. That was kind of silly to overlook."

Dende finally spoke up, "So, what kind of transformation is this that Gohan can do that makes it so dangerous?"

"Oh, right," Sorry Dende, "I got so caught up in memories that I forgot to tune you in. Um, well I can sort of…um…"

Piccolo cut in and said, "He can turn into a giant ape-like monster and multiply his power immensely, but we don't know if he would be able to tell friend from foe in that transformed state."

"Uh, yup that sums it up," Gohan said with a slight smile and shrugging his shoulders.

"That sounds dangerous," Dende said with a hint of worry in his voice, "But I trust Gohan and know he'd pull through for us!"

"Thanks Dende!" Gohan said happily, "Oh, um, could you guys keep this a secret for a little while until I'm more comfortable with it? I don't want everyone knowing just yet. They might not be so easily convinced."

"Sure thing kid, but you will have to tell Vegeta and probably Bulma about it too you know," Piccolo said as Dende nodded.

"Oh, I knew about that but I was really trying to avoid my mom or even Krillin finding out for a little while," Gohan replied, "I think both of them would probably faint and Krillin has a hard time keeping secrets according to Bulma."

Piccolo and Dende glanced at one another and shuddered at hearing Chi-Chi freak out over Gohan's ability.

"What are you guys talking about over here?" Mr. Popo asked as he walked over with a watering can in tow. He noticed Gohan and smiled, "Why hello Gohan! It's good to see you again."

Gohan smiled at him and said, "Hello Mr. Popo. It's good to see you too!"

Mr. Popo noticed Gohan's furry tail and was instantly reminded of what troubles it could create.

"You don't need to worry Mr. Popo," Piccolo said sensing Mr. Popo's uneasiness, "We've been talking with Gohan about his tail and he wants to use the Hyperbolic Time Chamber to train when he's ready to transform."

Mr. Popo smiled and said, "That is a relief. He will be able to use it again if he wishes but not right away."

"How soon would it be ready, Mr. Popo?" Dende asked.

"Well I need to stock up the food supply, the door and living quarters have been somewhat damaged from the recent bouts of training that I need to make repairs to, and it hasn't been given much time to rest between uses as of late so... I'd say at least a month to be safe," Mr. Popo replied thoughtfully.

"That should be enough time for Gohan to do some mental training before we put it to the test. Thank you, Mr. Popo," Piccolo replied with Gohan and Dende nodding in agreement.

"You are most welcome. Now if you'll excuse me I have some flowers that need watering," Mr. Popo replied with a slight bow and walked over to the nearest flower garden to give them water humming to himself as he did.

"Piccolo, can we start the mental training right now?" Gohan asked, "I can go visit Vegeta a little later on. He might be grumpy if I go over there too early."

Piccolo just chuckled at the thought of a grumpy Vegeta and said, "Sure thing. We'll start with basic meditations to help you out. I know I showed them to you before but since the focus was on surviving world destruction we didn't have much time to go into detail."

* * *

"So we all agree on our course of action now?" the lead child of Cell asked to his brothers standing around him in a circle while situated in the middle of the Crane School Dojo.

Morning light cast eerie glows and shadows through closed blinds of the surrounding windows. Mercenary Tao and Master Shen sat on the floor just a few feet away listening to them talk while sipping their morning cups of tea. The children nodded in unison and smiled deviously at the thought of completing their plans. Much to Tao's displeasure, he was ceremoniously "tapped" awake as the sun rose by one of the kids and proceeded to be launched through the wall next to his bed and into a bird bath head first. Shen had already been awake and had missed his own wake up call.

" _They really are kids when it comes down to it. Waking at the crack of dawn, eager to get things started, and making sure all the adults are up,_ " Shen said telepathically to Tao while grinning at his brother's grumpy demeanor.

" _Hmph, spoiled brats! If they couldn't incinerate me with the flick of their energy, I'd show them a thing or two about respecting their elders!_ " he retorted in a less than stellar mood as he rubbed his aching cheeks.

" _Well, maybe if we can increase our own strength, you might get a lucky shot in at some point,_ " Shen replied back while nonchalantly sipping the rest of his tea and standing up.

Tao didn't bother to reply as he finished his own, stood up as well, and walked over with Shen to the group Cell Juniors.

"Good," the leader said satisfied with their approval. "Then we'll split into three groups of two now, so we can complete our goal. I'll remain here with the humans. Someone else can choose to stay with me while the other four decide who will go where."

"Um, may I interrupt briefly? It's important," Shen said with caution as all six demon-like eyes turned their gaze upon him.

The leader spoke for them all, "Fine, but be quick. We want to get going as soon as possible!"

Shen nodded his head quickly and said "Right, right. My point is what should we call each of you so that there is no confusion? You're all basically identical and it's really hard to tell you apart."

Tao nodded at this but kept his mouth shut for fear of another assault.

The leader thought for a moment as he looked at his brothers and then said, "Fair point. We'll keep it simple and use numbers. My brothers can have their choices but I will be 4."

The Cell Junior to his immediate left said, "I'll be staying with 4 so call me 3."

Four spoke again and said, "Good. Which team is going to New Namek and which is going to Yardrat?"

The two children going in search of New Namek stated "6" and "7" while the two going to Yardrat piped up and said "2" and "5."

Tao and Shen looked at each other in confusion and then Shen asked, "I understand the need for the planet Namek to an extent but can I ask what reasons you have for this planet called Yardrat?"

Four replied smirking, "Goku learned this ability he called Instant Transmission and it allowed him to teleport anywhere he saw fit. He should have passed this onto our father when he was blown up."

"Ok. But how do you know he got it from this planet Yard Rat?" Tao piped up.

"It's Yar-drat you idiot!" Shen spat at him in annoyance.

Four chuckled before replying, "You humans expect us to give away all our secrets? Hah! Just know that our father passed on some information to us from a somewhat powerful being known as Frieza."

"So, brothers" Four said returning to the plan in motion, "Ready to leave?"

A resounding "Yes!" erupted from the Cell Juniors leaving for their destinations.

"You have one year so make sure you find something useful if you can't make it there and back in time. Father won't like tardiness," Four stated in a commanding tone. "Also, make sure to hide your energy as much as possible until you are out of this Solar System, got it?"

"Understood!" Replied 2, 5, 6, and 7 unanimously as they walked out the front door of the dojo and one by one began rising into the sky until their blue forms couldn't be seen anymore from the earth's surface.

"If they are smart, they'll continue to perfect their skills and make Father pleased upon his return," Four said to Three with menace in his voice.

"I'm sure they will brother," Three replied with a smirk.

"You two," Four said sharply as he turned to Shen and Tao who jumped at the sharpness of his voice, "go and wake your students. We said we'd cooperate with you but if you want your students to live for any reason, I suggest you rouse them. Your training begins immediately."

Three added while sneering gleefully, "I gave Master Tao a subtle poke with my index finger earlier. Your student's heads will be heading towards the sun if I decide to be more playful."

"Very well, I'll go and wake them" Shen replied and quickly flew towards his students' quarters to make sure they were up and preparing for the day. Tao decided to follow him on foot and ran in the same direction.

"It pains me to have to be around such weak filth for such a long time brother," Three said in annoyance as they disappeared.

"Relax, it will give us something to work for," Four replied with a smirk. "Besides, even if we can't take on that kid right now, we'll just have to increase our strength so we can."

"True, but I still want to blow things up and cause terror! Not train weaklings!" Three spat in further annoyance.

"We'll just have to do that in secret then," Four said in return, "And what better way then with humans who work in the shadows?"

* * *

 **Author's Note (1/8/2017):**

The next chapter is finally out! Dealing with the devil isn't always a good idea now is it?

A lot is going on here and a lot is going to happen. And no, I haven't forgotten about the "Champ" either he's just not important enough. Honestly, Puar is more important than him but he'll be back in time.

I am trying my best to do a different direction than what I've read on this site so hopefully this story is original enough.


	9. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer**

All original content is owned by Akira Toriyama and his affiliates.

 **Chapter 8:**

"Gohan!" Piccolo yelled snapping him out of his intense meditation.

Gohan opened his eyes and noticed that Piccolo had Dende in one hand on his left hip while Mr. Popo was holstered on his right side in the other hand.

"What...what happened Piccolo?" Gohan asked as if he had awoken from a nap.

Letting Dende and Mr. Popo get to their feet, Piccolo took a deep breath and replied, "Your incredible power is what happened." He darted his eyes over his right shoulder and Gohan following the motions gazed upon the numerous stumps of former palm trees.

He gulped audibly and said, "Gosh, Mr. Popo I ruined all your plants! I'm really sorry! I can help you replant!"

Dusting himself off, Mr. Popo replied, "It's ok, Gohan. Considering this is the third time attempting your meditation this morning, I'm not surprised it was so strong. At least you were stopped before reaching your ascended state or we'd be in orbit around the earth."

Gohan glanced at his body for a few moments and realized that he was in Super Saiyan form.

"It's only been a couple hours at most but why do I keep having trouble with my powers?" Gohan asked getting frustrated.

"It's more simple than you think Gohan, but also a huge problem you need to overcome," Piccolo acknowledged with a sigh, "you've been through a rough ride over the past month going through two transformations and dealing with Cell. You may have rested your body physically but emotionally you are still volatile."

Gohan frowned and looking down at the floor beneath him clenched his fists in further frustration, "I was hoping to start meditation training today to help with my emotions too," he said dejectedly.

Piccolo walked over and put a hand on Gohan's right shoulder while smirking and asked, "What is going through your mind while you try to meditate?"

Gohan thought for a few moments before replying, "I try to focus on something simple like my breathing and then my mind jumps from that to calming my tense body and then to fighting and it seems to always jump back to Cell at the end."

"I know you were so eager to start but part of training can also be letting go and sometimes our minds can't just shut it off that fast," he said trying to comfort Gohan.

"Why don't we take it more slowly and do it a few times a week until you've rested emotionally? It's not like we're in any rush this time around," Piccolo continued.

Gohan looked up at him with a small smile and finding some humor said, "Even trying to relax can be its own battle huh Mr. Piccolo?"

Piccolo laughed heartily before replying, "You couldn't have said it better, kid."

"I'll go and plant new seeds for the missing trees. Given the events of the past few years, I've had to stock up plenty. If you'll excuse me," Mr. Popo said as he gave a quick bow and walked off to do some more gardening.

Dende was laughing at the little joke and irony of the situation when he suddenly said "Gohan, why is your tail gold colored?"

Gohan looked behind himself to see his tail in a golden-brown color while swishing to and fro. _"Hmm, that's odd. I wonder what happens if I power up my aura..."_ He willed his ki to flourish around him and as the golden light of Super Saiyan enveloped him, it further enhanced the golden glow around his tail. Gohan released the energy enveloping his body and reverted to his base form. His tail returned to its original brown color as he did.

"I'm not sure why that is Dende. Piccolo do you have any ideas?" Gohan replied out of curiosity.

"Beats me, Gohan. I'm the last person to ask about Saiyan genes but I'll admit that is a unique effect your transformation has on it," Piccolo replied thoughtfully, "if you do manage to meet with Vegeta, I'd ask him about it."

"Ok. I guess I should make my way over there soon. Hopefully he'll be able to help me figure this out," Gohan said nodding to Piccolo with a cheerful smile.

"Yes, I think it's time you took a break from meditation for a few days," Piccolo said nodding in agreement.

"I'd also recommend that you try to maintain the Super Saiyan form again like before the Cell Games," Piccolo added.

Gohan looked at him with a puzzled look and asked, "How will that help me?"

"Well, for starters, when you are ready to ascend to the second level, it will save you energy. Second, with you in a Super Saiyan state, you might be able to go to the next level more naturally over time instead of being pushed through your emotions. Anger is useful but too much will strain your body," Piccolo replied.

"I can see that but do I need to be in it all the time again? Mom, isn't exactly fond of my blonde hair," Gohan said nervously.

"No, just do it enough so your body doesn't forget how to unlock your power," Piccolo replied.

"Ok, thanks for your help Piccolo!" Gohan replied feeling a little more relaxed about his training session.

"It was good to see you again Gohan," Dende said smiling, "I hope you can come and visit more often now that I'm on the same planet!"

Gohan chuckled and said, "Sure thing. I'll try to come back in the next few days. Mom's going to go crazy if I don't get back to studying hard. Thanks again and I'll see you guys later!"

Waving goodbye Gohan powered up his aura and blasted off from the lookout towards West City as Piccolo and Dende returned their own waves.

* * *

"Alright, now that you all have had your warm-ups and introductions to your new teachers do you have any relevant questions?" Master Shen asked sharply to his students who were looking worn and torn after a brutal morning training session. None of the students who were conscious and living dared to respond.

Shen and Tao had woken each of the eighteen students up using the nontraditional but effective method applied to Tao earlier that morning. Only one student managed to avoid being bruised. However; none of them were prepared for the guest teachers that would be staying with them over the next year. The initial reaction was partially pleasing but mostly annoying to Cell Juniors Three and Four. The terror on the students' faces brought pleasure to them but the constant screaming was bothersome and though they resisted killing them outright, Three and Four had no qualms about knocking them unconscious for their own satisfaction.

Several students remained unconscious while the rest barely survived the incoming attacks from Three and Four. Shen and Tao were not exempt from the training drills and had to dodge their fair share of energy blasts. Though their clothes were singed and colored red in some spots, they fared much better than one student who received massive burns to his face and hair as he failed to completely dodge a palm blast aimed at his head. Tao cared enough for him to retrieve a five gallon bucket of cold water and splashed it all over the student's face.

"Next time, I suggest you keep your eyes on your enemy and not the best route of escape," Tao spoke sharply as the young man slowly rose to his feet and stared at Tao with a mangled expression of horror, "We told you when you first set foot in this school that we don't tolerate cowardice of _any kind_. I will not protect you if they decide to kill you next time."

Three and Four stood grinning maliciously with their eyes on the injured student as Four added in his high pitched voice, "I'd listen to your Master if I were you. That was me holding back most of my power. Next time I'll put more into it so you better dodge completely or there won't be a face for you to cool down."

The young student nodded his head quickly, gave a bow of respect and backed off the dojo floor while keeping his eyes on the two Cell Juniors as best as he could through the pain he was experiencing. His body reaching the doorway, he slipped outside and rushed to take a cold shower and apply proper medicine to treat his wounds. Being a student of the Crane Hermit, he was taught to take care of himself without the aid of others. If the students can't learn to fend for themselves, they aren't worth the Crane Hermit's time.

Shen watched the student take his leave and said with a smirk, "Sometimes learning a lesson the hard way will make them perfect their moves faster."

Three replied with a laugh of his own, "Tch, I think my brother is too soft. If I had shot at him he'd be dead now. Rouse those who are down, they are the weakest of all your fighters and need the most toughening up."

Shen nodded and making quick motions went to each of the five unconscious students while giving several swift taps with his feet along various points of their bodies. A few moments passed and they began to stir. Coming back to their surroundings quickly, all five rose to their feet and stood at attention like the rest of the battered students in the dojo. Fear showed itself in their eyes but they dared not let the rest of their bodies show it or risk further torture by the two monsters staring them down like a predator ready to pounce on its prey.

Three spoke to them all, "We knew you pathetic humans would be no match for us but this level you show us is beyond pathetic! I've seen better power and speed from your masters and they are nothing more than flies to me!"

He paused before sneering at them and said, "If you do not show decent progress in the next week, I will take full pleasure in killing you myself."

While all the students felt the fear at this statement creep inside of them, only one of the students previously unconscious let it get to him and blurted out, "but Masters one week is not enough time! Some of us only just started. We need more time to-"

A yellow beam of light engulfed his body before he could finish and obliterated him where he stood in a matter of seconds. Behind the former student's foot prints the dojo now had a natural window to the world outside roughly the size of a doorway. Three lowered his right index finger and the shocked students could see an angry and deep scowl on his face contort into the sneer only a homicidal maniac would make.

"Would anyone else like to make stupid comments like that?" Shen said as if the death of one of his students was another day in the park. "I told you all this morning that we were being trained to enhance our skills for the sole purpose of defeating Master Roshi and his students! Everything we do going forward is for that and nothing else matters! We will not tolerate the cowardice that was just displayed so hopefully his example will hone your fighting senses further!"

All the remaining students nodded quickly and focused all their intent on the blue monsters in front of them. Three continued on, "Before that rude interruption, I was about to say that the now weakest four of you (he pointed to the recently awakened) will be going through more strenuous training in the next few days if you want to survive."

No student said anything but only nodded in agreement.

Four spoke, "Over the next few days the remaining 17 of you will train with weighted bands attached to your bodies. Master Tao and Master Shen will do as they please to toughen you up. As for the one who managed to avoid our attack earlier, he will come with my brother and I on a little adventure as a reward."

Again none of the students said anything and the student who left to tend to his wounds had returned through the "new" entrance and stood with his classmates in silence. Including his right eye, half his face was hidden behind white bandages and he was completely bald with giant red burns all over the skin that was exposed. Tao gave him a nod of approval and returned his gaze to the Cell Juniors.

"Except for Ken, the rest of you go out into the court yard to begin sparring. Master Tao will be out in a few minutes to supervise. Dismissed!" Master Shen commanded.

The students hastily but deftly left the dojo as instructed without question or hesitation.

"What is the reason for your sudden interest in one of my students, Four?" Shen asked.

"If you had you been feeling the recent surge in ki, you would have felt Gohan's energy not too long ago. I want to follow and see what he is doing out of curiosity," Four said matter-of-factly, "and we need someone in your school who is not completely useless to show us how to keep from being detected. Plus, your students are boring us until they show better progress and I'm not sure it'll be long before Three blows up another one (Three nodded his head with a malicious grin at this)."

"I was aware of a strong person powering up, but I didn't pay it much mind because I assumed it was one of _them_ just training," Shen replied.

"And that's partly why I'm interested. Human!" Four said sharply to the student named Ken. He snapped to attention and looked cautiously at Four. "Gather your necessary things for what you consider a typical assassination and we'll be off. The last place I felt his ki was closer to where our father hosted the Cell Games." Ken gave a quick nod and ran to get what he needed.

"When you will be back?" Tao asked of them.

"Later today when we've had our fill. Keep training those students of yours and make sure to step it up as you go. We don't want lose interest too quickly," Four replied.

Ken returned wearing black clothes with a set of capsules in his pocket. He showed a capsule with a vehicle inside replied, "Ready when you are Master Four."

"Kind of like that. Good, we'll follow behind you on foot and tell you where to go," Four said satisfied, "We're leaving now."

* * *

Arriving just over West City Gohan became immediately aware of a rain storm following him at his heels. _"Huh, it almost never rains when I come to visit Bulma. Come to think of it, when was the last time it actually rained here?"_ Pushing aside his thoughts as he saw Capsule Corporation come into view below him, Gohan descended swiftly into the back area where he had celebrated the party with family and friends just yesterday.

Someone came rushing over to him on a scooter a few moments after his feet touched the grass.

"Hello Gohan! I didn't expect to see you back here so soon!" Bulma exclaimed as she came to a halt a few feet in front him while carrying Baby Trunks on her right shoulder. He was giggling after the fun ride he just endured.

Without any hesitation, Bulma handed him over to a smiling Gohan who took the giggling baby and began to make funny faces. The giggling continued for a few more minutes before Gohan set Trunks down in the grass and let him crawl around at his feet and try to walk with limited success.

"Well, I see you'll be a good big brother when the time comes," She said cheerfully to a grinning Gohan, "What brings us this surprise visit?"

A clap of lightning in the distance and the sound of thunder erupted all around the area. Trunks quickly turned from happy and giggling to scared and crying. He reached his arms up along Gohan's legs and obliging, Gohan picked him up in his arms. Trunks immediately latched onto Gohan as further sounds of thunder began making themselves known.

"Why don't we go inside and chat there?" Bulma asked hurriedly as she started up her scooter. Gohan shouted a "Yes!" back over the wind and thunder and ran at a quick pace to the main building while Bulma followed close behind. They dashed through the doors just as the first bouts of rain plummeted from the sky. Bulma turned off her scooter and set it against a nearby wall while inviting Gohan over to one of the couches, she sat down.

Gohan walked over with a slightly less whining but still scared Trunks in hand and stood in front of Bulma while holding him.

"Whew. As I said a few minutes ago, you will be a great big brother! Thanks for bringing him in!" Bulma said smiling. "So, what's up?"

"Well, it's about my Saiyan heritage..." Gohan began. Trunks, who was looking over Gohan's left shoulder caught sight of his tail and reached out for it while making a "I want that" kind of noise only a baby could.

Gohan took notice of this and used it as an opportunity to show Bulma what he meant. The tip of his tail moved to where Trunks could reach and Trunks began trying to play with it in his grasp. "Trunks seems to be having a blast playing with it," Gohan added grinning sheepishly.

"What are you talking-" Bulma began as her eyes followed what her son was playing with in his right hand. Her eyes widened as she quickly stood up and getting in Gohan's personal space looked closer at the brown furry appendage while exclaiming loudly "Your tail is back?!"

Gohan jumped back a few feet from her wincing and replied, "Bulma! Did you have to shout that so loudly in my ears?!"

"Oh, sorry Gohan. It's just that that isn't exactly safe for you to be uh having out in the open for everyone to see," Bulma said trying to calm herself down.

"Bulma, it's not like I'm showing the world what I look like naked!" Gohan replied with a pouting face and getting annoyed.

Bulma stared at him in shock just realizing what she said and thanking the higher beings above that Master Roshi or Chi Chi weren't around to here that. She took a deep breath and said, "I meant that it's dangerous for you to have a tail because of what...uh...untrained power you have inside."

Gohan smiled appreciatively at her and said, "Thanks for trying to not call me a monster Bulma. I know this is a shock but like I was trying to say that's why I'm here. I was hoping to get some help on it from Vegeta."

"Ah, so you haven't made any plans to see or haven't really seen the full moon as of late?" Bulma asked trying to sound calm and noticed that Trunks continued to play with Gohan's tail like it were a rattle.

"Well, I did see the full moon over the past couple of nights. It's part of the reason I got my tail back, but I don't want to look at it until I've been able to control myself," Gohan said, "Oh, and Trunks can play with my tail all he wants. I don't have that weakness you might be thinking about."

"Ah, I see. Ok, well I'm sorry I was so jumpy but you know how a Saiyan's tail has been trouble in the past," Bulma said reassuringly.

Gohan gave a smile one would expect a kid begging for candy to give and nodded, "I know Bulma. Could you try and give it a chance, please? You know I wouldn't intentionally hurt anyone right?"

 _"Darn, Gohan really knows how to get to me with that tone and face! He's just like his father!"_ Bulma thought to herself.

"Of course, I will. Tell you what, I'll go see if the _Prince_ is awake and see if he will take an audience. Could you amuse Trunks until I call you or return? Hopefully, it won't take me more than a couple minutes of shouting to do the trick!" She said with a smile and wink.

"Thanks, Bulma and sure thing. I think I should help comfort him since the storm outside is kind of scary for Trunks," Gohan said enthusiastically.

"Ok. I'll be back in a few," Bulma stated as she turned around and walked down the nearby hall to find Vegeta.

Several minutes and loud shouts later, Bulma came back seemingly frustrated. She calmed herself at the sight of Gohan sitting cross legged on the floor while Trunks sat in his lap happily playing with Gohan's tail and giggling.

"Well, Vegeta is being partially cooperative. He'll talk with you for a few minutes and only if you go to the room he's in upstairs. Go up the stairs, and turn right. He's in the room furthest down the hall. Don't expect anything epic, but at least he'll grace you with his presence," She said sounding exasperated.

Gohan stood up with Trunks in hand and gave him over to Bulma, "Sorry, little guy. I gotta go talk to your dad but when I return we can play a little more, ok?" Trunks let go of his tail and smiled contentedly with that as Bulma took him in her arms.

"Thanks again Bulma. I'll be back in a few!" Gohan said as he walked past her and ran up the stairs.

Barely a few minutes later Gohan found himself standing outside the closed door of Vegeta's room.

" _Ok, Vegeta and I haven't exactly gotten along before, but maybe he'll be more open to talking to me. After all, he did help us win the fight against Cell! Here goes."_ Gohan thought to himself as he raised his right hand gave the door in front of him a couple knocks.

"Who is it?" Vegeta's voice yelled sharply from behind the door.

"Uh, it's me, Gohan," said trying to show confidence in his voice. Even though he was stronger than Vegeta, the guy could still be intimidating with just his attitude alone. "Bulma said you'd be willing talk for a few minutes."

A pause from the other door before finally, "Alright, fine. It's open. You can come in now," Vegeta replied with an air of annoyance.

Gohan touched the door and it slid open. He saw Vegeta, arms crossed, leaning against the wall near the room's window and walked into the room. A quick glance and he saw that it was still storming outside as a couple flashes of lightning illuminated a rather dimly lit room.

"Get the point, Gohan" Vegeta said in a toneless voice before Gohan could muster a greeting of any sort, "I'm not in a good mood right now."

" _When are you in a good mood?"_ Gohan wondered to himself but dared not say aloud.

"Ok, how about I just show you instead?" Gohan replied feeling a little nervous as he willed his tail to swish into view for Vegeta to see.

Gohan half expected Vegeta to flip out and start yelling at him, but all he got was a quick wide-eyed stare from Vegeta before closing his eyes and bowing his head in thought.

Vegeta finally responded after some time and asked slightly irritated, "I know you're not one to go around showing something like that off and bragging about it, so why did you come to me?"

Gohan gulped and said, "I wanted to ask you if you would help me learn how to control the transformation so I can use it in case the earth is ever threatened again."

Before Vegeta could give a reply Gohan added quickly, "And I know it's dangerous so I was hoping you could teach me how to make a fake moon so I could train in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber away from everyone."

Vegeta stared at him in silence for a few moments before letting a smirk slip on his face and said, "Well, I'll admit that you put a lot of thought into this and really want follow through with your Saiyan heritage. I'm impressed Gohan."

"So, you'll help me then?" Gohan asked starting to feel relieved.

Vegeta's face turned into a scowl and said more sternly, "No. I have no desire to help you. Go and figure it out yourself."

Gohan stared at him somewhat shocked and said, "But I need some sort of guidance! I thought you'd be the best help for that! I'm afraid I'll mess it up or use the real moon and then hurt or kill innocent people!"

"And there's the problem right there!" Vegeta said finally snapping angrily at Gohan who could only look at Vegeta in disbelief due to his sudden change in mood. "You are afraid of your own power! You, a little boy, who days ago ascended to heights of power never before dreamed about for a true Saiyan warrior! Heights that should belong to me, an elite, and not you the son of a low-class warrior who himself surpassed me in strength as well!"

Gohan just continued to stare at Vegeta, trying to comprehend where this came from all of a sudden. His mouth agape, he tried to make a reply but only a few whimpers came out of his mouth.

Vegeta took notice and getting more frustrated continued with his angry tirade. "You are too soft, Gohan! On the battlefield with Cell, I saw you become a true warrior after ascending! I watched you demolish the very creatures that I was barely able to hold my own against. I saw your warrior spirit, relentless and powerful, as you took them down and then went after Cell! Where is that now? A true Saiyan warrior is not fearful of his inner abilities. He works to overcome it with bravery and confidence!"

Tears started to well up in Gohan's eyes. Here he had thought Vegeta saw him at the least as a fellow warrior but now Vegeta was calling him a coward? He began to feel betrayed and hurt over it.

"But Vegeta, I lost myself and was no different than Cell! That's why Dad-" he stopped himself and couldn't finish his sentence.

"On the one hand I should be grateful for you and your idiot of a father saving my life in battle, but if I had known that you would turn into a coward just because you're afraid to control your deep well of power; I would have rather died in battle with my pride and honor intact! Admit it! I know you're afraid of it and yet you expect me to hold your hands like a little baby!" Vegeta spat.

Gohan hung his head low with watery eyes looking at the floor and felt a surge of anger well up inside of him. He suddenly lifted his head up and looked at Vegeta with it burning in his eyes. Vegeta returned the gaze daring Gohan to make a move.

"Pride? Honor? I came here to get advice from you because I had respect for you! I believed that your pride in the Saiyan race would help me better understand myself since I'm both Saiyan and human," Gohan said his voice starting to rise. "Now, I know what's going on. You're just jealous that Dad and I surpassed you in strength by such a wide margin that you don't think you'll ever catch up! You talk about pride and cowardice when you're the real coward for just calling it quits!" Gohan shouted with his energy starting to rise.

Vegeta glared daggers at him while lowering his arms to his side and clenching his fists. He replied in a dangerously calm tone, "Get out of my sight, boy! I don't care how strong you are! No one talks to their elders, let alone their Saiyan Prince, in such a disrespectful manner!"

Gohan stared him down and calming himself slightly said, "Ok, fine." He had hit Vegeta where it hurt and Vegeta knew it. _"At least I won this little fight!"_

Gohan backed out of the room still eyeing Vegeta in case Vegeta decided to act on his own temper and attack but he just stood there glaring at Gohan.

Before Gohan left his sight he spoke once more, "You're right, Vegeta. I was acting cowardly, but it's only because I'm afraid of hurting my family and friends. That includes Bulma, Trunks, and _you_. Thank you for at least meeting with me, Vegeta. Good-bye."

With that said Gohan turned around and walked out of the doorway and the door slid shut on its own. Vegeta stared at the closed door as Gohan walked back down to where Bulma sat waiting. He just crossed his arms and gave an audible "Hmph!" to the room. He turned to look out the window and watch the storm rage on. It seemed to resonate with his inner feelings as the heavy rain fell and thunder roared between flashes of lightning.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

I've been working on this chapter, believe it or not, for the last couple weeks and change. I had originally wanted to keep adding but at this rate it's going to be really long.

For some who have commented in the past about an "Emo" Gohan, it's not going to happen (so don't worry) but Vegeta is a piece of work in his own right. He isn't going to change overnight, I mean it took over 200 episodes for that to happen right? Not like it'll be done in 5 minutes...yeah, I went there.

It's funny, very few episodes of the series had battles done in a thunderstorm. It always seemed to be sunny...except on a planet about to explode or when Vegeta first powered up against Goku in the Saiyan Saga, or Gohan ran away from Piccolo to go home in a filler episode...well Cell was killed on a sunny day! What a happy thought.

More to come for better or worse.


	10. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer**

All original content is owned by Akira Toriyama and his affiliates.

 **Chapter 9:**

Walking away from Vegeta's room, the anger Gohan felt at Vegeta slowly gave way to sadness. He just felt defeated. Sighing, Gohan slowly descended down the stairs and over to where Bulma sat playing with Trunks. She looked up from her son, saw Gohan's depressed face, and quickly put it all together.

"I take it he won't help you, huh?" Bulma asked softly.

"Is it that obvious or did you hear us starting to yell?" a dejected Gohan said as he plopped down on the floor. Trunks crawled away from his mother and into Gohan's lap as if he had never left.

Trunks began babbling and trying to "talk" to Gohan. Gohan turned his gaze to the baby and Trunks seemed to lift Gohan's spirits a little as he couldn't help but smile at the innocence of the younger boy who began reaching for Gohan's tail. His tail swished around and into the tiny hands of the once again laughing baby.

"Yes, it's that obvious but it seems that Trunks is trying to cheer you up," Bulma replied giving a reassuring smile.

"Isn't that right, Trunks?" she cooed at the baby who returned a smile and giggle to his mother before attending to his new toy once more.

Gohan gave a little chuckle at that but could only gaze longingly at the nearby wall feeling defeated on the inside. "I'm not sure what to do now Bulma," he said after a few moments.

"I'm sorry Vegeta isn't much help right now but if you give him time, maybe he'll come around," Bulma said sighing. "I'm actually sad to see him being this way. He's pretty much given up on training and combat altogether."

"I was kind of rude to him and told him he was being a coward because Dad and I managed to get stronger than him so I guess I kind of had it coming," Gohan said sadly.

"Well, maybe a blow like that will make him come around. You do realize that being of a royal family, growing up he was basically taught that he would get everything he wanted or needed. I can't blame him for feeling his world shattering around him but at the same time he needs to man up and be that proud warrior he's always been acting as!" Bulma replied.

Gohan just listened in silence while watching Trunks enjoy himself.

"Hey, I know how to make you feel better," Bulma suddenly piped up.

"How's that?" Gohan asked looking at her puzzled.

"The best way to get to a Saiyan is through his stomach. Aren't you hungry? It is around lunch time you know!" Bulma replied cheerfully.

A small smile crept across Gohan's face as he said, "Ok, you got me there. I guess that couldn't hurt."

"Bring Trunks with you and follow me into the kitchen. I'll get his baby chair and see what we have that you can choose from. Anything you want is fine. Oh, and I'll even turn on the TV for you to watch something while you eat!" She said getting up and walking towards her giant kitchen.

Gohan picked up Trunks, who held onto his tail tightly, and followed her in. "I think he's really attached to my tail," Gohan said as he helped Bulma put Trunks in his baby high chair.

"That won't be a problem for long," Bulma said dishing out baby food and small cuts of about two pounds of chicken. "Trunks, lunch is ready."

At these words Trunks let go of Gohan's tail and reached for the food placed in front of him. "Cut up chicken, Bulma? Isn't he still a little young for that?"

"Nope and neither were you," Bulma replied as she opened her fridge to find something for Gohan to eat. "Your mom gave tips on what to feed Trunks since you were the same way. It was something about a bad biting incident when feeding you."

"Ah, I don't remember that but I guess Mom would be the best source for raising a Saiyan on Earth," Gohan replied grinning.

Bulma just replied, "Mhm" as she continued trying to find something for Gohan to eat. "That's odd I thought we had more around here to eat than this," she continued, "I guess I'll go and check the back-up fridge and freezer. Once Vegeta was living here officially, I knew I'd need to have a huge supply of food."

Walking towards the doorway she grabbed a remote off the kitchen table and flicked on a small TV sitting on the fridge. "Go ahead and pick anything from the fridge you want, I didn't see anything that I know would ease your appetite but anything is better than nothing. I'll be back in a few minutes," Bulma said turning and walking out of the kitchen.

Gohan said, "Ok!" and began looking for something to help with his now growing hunger. As he opened the fridge and looked for food, the TV channel turned from some bout of commercials on new cereals coming out called Hercule Crisps and Champ Chomps (Gohan had to chuckle at the absurdity of those new names) to the news programming.

"Welcome back to KBC News where we bring you up-to-the minute, live coverage of what is going on in the world and I'm your host Nester Brack," the newscaster said as Gohan picked out a few apples, and walked over to the sink to rinse them off.

"Our top story today begins with the incredible announcement that Hercule Satan, the world champ and Savior as many people are calling him, has received a great honor by Orange Star City," Nester Brack continued as Gohan sat down next Trunks and began eating his own food. "Orange Star City will be renamed to Satan City to honor our beloved hero, who as you all remember, just days ago saved us all from the terror of Cell!"

" _If we all remember than why are you reminding us?_ " Gohan thought grudgingly as he chomped into his second apple.

"While the city will be changing its name for this gracious gesture to Hercule, many of the town's businesses and schools have stated that they will maintain the name "Orange Star." Hercule was asked about the changing the names of every building using Orange Star, but he has stated that while he will graciously accept the town's honor, he did not feel comfortable changing the name of everything in the city. He felt that was too much." The reporter continued.

Gohan only half listened to the reporter drone on about Hercule's accomplishments culminating to his "legendary fight" with Cell and how the world views him as the greatest mankind has ever known. Gohan was more focused on filling his belly and watching Trunks occasionally flick what looked like carrots onto the ground in disgust but completely enjoying each piece of chicken. He had to chuckle a little at the pickiness. " _I do remember enjoying the meat the most myself. Vegetables weren't always my favorite either but I didn't mind carrots. Actually, didn't Dad always try to sneak a lot onto my plate? I wonder why that was?_ " Gohan pondered to himself.

Nester Brack continued with his report on Hercule in the background and talked about his relationship with King Furry, "While King Furry was unavailable during the ceremony in the newly named Satan City to honor our hero, he has expressed gratitude and congratulations to our champ on defending the earth from a terrible threat. However; some sources do speculate he is not very fond of Hercule Satan due to the King's lack of praise as compared with adoring fans and has fallen under harsh criticism in the past couple days. When asked whether he would consider Hercule as a potential successor to the throne if ever King Furry's family lineage was disrupted he had this to say."

Gohan was a little more curious to hear this bit since the Ox King had said King Furry did not really believe Hercule to be the world champ. Gohan looked at the TV with renewed interest as a recent interview with King Furry appeared on screen.

"While Mr. Satan has shown to be a very capable martial artist in his fight with the monster known as Cell, I cannot say if I would consider him as a successor to the throne. I'm actually not sure how this came to light as he has no relations with my lineage. But putting that aside and allowing for a future where it isn't just one family ruling over our kingdom, I would question if he is truly the right man for the job." King Furry said to what appeared to be a room full of reporters and cameramen.

One reported piped up, "Are you saying that the man who sacrificed himself, the man who has the strength to carry many bus sized vehicles, the man who defeated the world's greatest threat ever known, is not worthy of holding the title of "King" to a world that adores him for the hero he really is?"

King Furry replied, "I am not discounting his courage to take on a terrible threat to our world, but I would question if he has any knowledge in handling the politics in ruling over a kingdom. As most of you are surely aware, a lot of thought goes into what laws to pass and veto, where monetary funds go, and maintaining good relationships with the populace as a whole. It is not something for the faint of heart or for someone who has had either very little or no practice in any politics to take up the throne just like that. However; I would not be against showing him what a "day in the life of the king" is really like."

The TV returned to a view of Nester Brack who added, "Hercule Satan being put in charge does appear unlikely but it seems that criticism against the king for being a "Hercule Hater" as some of the younger adults are calling him, may be causing some political strife in the coming weeks."

Gohan had finished eating a sixth apple after listening to the news and just sighed out of disappointment. "I wish people weren't so judgmental just because one person doesn't like someone that everyone else does."

As the newscaster announced a commercial break coming on, Bulma reappeared in the kitchen with a few loaves of bread, meat, and other assorted vegetables for sandwiches.

"Sorry it took me so long Gohan," She replied in a huff as she set the ingredients on the table in front of him. "I had to dig for some of it since there wasn't a whole lot left for a starving Saiyan."

"It's alright Bulma. Thanks for letting me eat your food!" Gohan said appreciatively as he grabbed for the food he wanted.

"I hope this at least tides you over for an hour or so. I forgot that Yamcha, Oolong, and Puar stayed here after the party. Yamcha and Oolong had a few too many drinks and got themselves sick so I let them stay in the living room," Bulma stated while Gohan made a few sub sized sandwiches for his lunch.

"I thought they left like everyone else?" Gohan asked curiously.

"No, bunch of ungrateful jerks making a mess! Of course, they even went on to eat me out of house and home," Bulma continued in an exasperated tone. "Not Puar, she's alright, but I told Yamcha to get out as soon as I saw him walking around. Vegeta may be out of sorts but he seems kind of protective of me lately regardless. I was afraid Yamcha would end up in orbit if Vegeta saw him up and moving."

Gohan had to stifle a giggle in between bites knowing how Vegeta's temper was at its worst.

"But Oolong just couldn't get any better, at least until today. Puar reluctantly stayed to help care for him. I sent him and Puar off to the local grocery store earlier this morning, probably an hour before you arrived," Bulma said as she began making a smaller sandwich for herself while trying to give a few pieces of lettuce to Trunks. "I knew Puar would keep him in line and I gave them a capsule to carry everything in. That thing can hold at least a ton in weight! I wonder what's keeping them though. The storm has turned into more of a steady rain now and Puar can shape-shift into an umbrella easily."

Just as Gohan was biting into his third giant sandwich, the news returned with a flash of "Breaking News" scrolling across the bottom.

Nester Brack began speaking, "Breaking news from West City. It appears a robbery is currently in place. We now take you live to a downtown supermarket with our field team. Tella, your report?"

Immediately Gohan and Bulma snapped their attention to the TV as the view shifted to a rain filled background and a woman newscaster holding an umbrella and microphone.

"Thanks Nester," she said quickly, "We're live just outside the West City Food Stores where just minutes ago police arrived on scene. It appears that one of the hostages of this ongoing robbery tripped the store alarm to alert local authorities to the scene. There appears to be at least three known crooks holding several people, including a seemingly unconscious little pig, hostage."

Gohan dropped his sandwich and stood up instantly. "Bulma, I'm going" he replied in a commanding tone while turning around to leave.

Bulma nodded and said, "Just go out to the back area where we had the party, look to your east, and if you don't see any police sirens right away, it's only a few blocks down the road."

"You'd better transform just in case. If you want to keep your identity secret. Better to be known as the Delivery Boy for now," She said before he could leave the kitchen.

"You're right, thanks for reminding me Bulma," Gohan said. He stepped away from the table a few feet and pulling his ki from within him, transformed into his Super Saiyan state.

"Gohan, quick before you go.." Bulma added as Gohan had begun running to the doorway. He stopped and turned to look at her. "Can you will your...uh, golden tail to wrap around your waist? It might cause you more trouble as a tail than a golden belt."

Gohan looked down at his tail and saw that it had once again shown a golden color while he was a Super Saiyan. "Gosh Bulma, what would I do without you?" he said smiling and willed his tail to wrap around his waist like a belt.

"You'd be torn asunder by the paparazzi," she replied coyly. "Just come back with them in safe and sound?"

Gohan nodded, turned around, ran out towards the rainy weather, and flew off to the grocery store without much thought since it was easy to see the police lights flashing under the dark sky.

* * *

"Did you feel that brother?" Three piped up with glee as a sneer spread across his face.

"Yes, Three. I did, " Four replied with an equally unpleasant smile.

"Human!" Four shouted to Ken who standing by his motorcycle, awaiting their commands.

"Yes, Master Four?" He replied obediently and without any fear in his voice even though his feelings betrayed him.

"We are too far away. What lies in this direction?" Four spoke as he pointed to some distant rain clouds south of their location.

Ken pulled out a small electronic mapping device and began checking for an answer. Within a few seconds he responded, "It's West City, Master Four."

"West City..." Four began pondering.

"Isn't that where the Brief's Residence is?" Three asked.

"Yes! He must be paying a visit. Maybe that brat is training! Let's go see what he's really up to!" Four replied.

Three gave a wicked smile and said, "Yes! I want to know what secrets we can get out of him before our next battle! Come human, we're off! Get us into West City undetected while we hone in on Gohan!"

Ken nodded and getting on his vehicle once more, started up the engine and sped off towards West City with the two Cell Juniors in tow.

* * *

"Yo, what the heck is going on here?!" A gruff and burly man wearing a red ski mask and dark green clothes shouted.

"I know, right!" another man of thinner but still strong build said who was also sporting the same attire.

"Relax, we'll get out of this! We just need to use these people as leverage and the cops will leave us alone!" A third man of leaner but taller build than the others said also in green clothes and wearing a crimson red ski mask. He pointed his semi-automatic gun at the hostages: several shoppers and store employees who sat cowering in fear between the rows of grocery goods and checkout stations.

A couple of the employees lay bleeding and unconscious with some of their colleagues trying to care for them as best as could be done on the hard tiled floor. Among the conscious were a few apprehensive mothers and their kids, an elderly couple, Oolong, and Puar. Oolong was dazed and out of sorts with Puar tending to a large welt on his forehead.

"That was the most courageous and idiotic thing I've ever seen you do!" Puar whispered intently into Oolong's ears.

"Heh, would you believe I was trying to get a look under that pretty cashier's skirt before she smacked me under the register?" He replied still feeling a throbbing pain were she hit him. The cashier sat next to him her face red as a tomato and glaring daggers at Oolong as he said that.

"Yes, you were taught by Master Roshi all too well but your ill intent also helped get the police here before they could do any more damage!" Puar said sardonically.

"Just because I'm a cowardly skirt-chaser doesn't mean I don't care!" he retorted sharply and immediately regretted it as the pain intensified.

"Would you two shut-up!" The tallest of the robbers yelled sharply at them, "Or I might do it for you permanently!"

They did as they were told and sat on the floor in silence. He returned his attention to his fellow cohorts and said, "I know this was supposed to be easy to do and we've had a few set backs (he momentarily glared at Oolong), but we have the advantage here!" He told them.

The burly looking thug replied calming down slightly, "Well, I suppose that's true. We've got the front barricaded with heavy stuff, all back entrances are blocked shut. We got plenty of ammo, and all the cash is put neatly in the bags as planned. But how do you plan on getting out of here exactly?"

"Simple, we take a few hostages with us out the back, and leave the rest as a distraction. I had a back-up plan in case we got stuck, " he said pointing to a round object hanging off his belt.

"You guys get the attention of the cops and tell them to back off before we start filling these people with lead," he said with a sneer, "while I decide who stays and who comes with us."

The shorter thin guy spoke up, "What are you gonna do to make them comply if they don't get the message?"

"We need to set an example to shake them up and maybe the porker here will do," the tallest replied menacingly as he strolled over to Oolong while leveling his gun at Oolong's head.

* * *

Gohan dropped his aura and floated some thirty feet over the grocery store. " _I think the police and reporters will have trouble spotting me in the rain but just in case I'd better keep my energy low key for now. I wonder what the best way to go in will be? I'd like to just fly in through the ceiling but that might hurt the people being held hostage..Wait! Maybe I can sneak in from the back of the store and catch them off guard!"_

Scanning around the store with his eyes, he saw three policemen struggling to open a heavy door in the back of the store, near the loading area. Sighing, he thought to himself " _Well_ , _I guess I'll have to interact with a few of them. Hopefully they will recognize me from the games and won't give me too much trouble."_ Slowly, Gohan descended to the back of the store and landed in the employee parking lot between some of the cars. The policemen were too preoccupied trying to open the back door to hear Gohan appear a few feet behind them.

"Excuse me officers?" Gohan asked getting their attention.

They turned around immediately prepared to fight and noticing it was just some kid sighed out of relief. The leader of the group said, "You shouldn't be here young man. There are dangerous crooks inside. I'm going to have to ask you to leave the area and take cover."

"I know," Gohan said slowly walking up to them as he made his golden aura flash around his body. "That's why I'm here. I want to help. Not sure if you completely recognize me but I was one of the people fighting Cell."

They stared at Gohan for a few moments trying to understand what they were seeing and hearing before the leader said, "I'm not playing any games kid, this is serious business!" He reached to grab Gohan by the hand but Gohan had moved swiftly and stood right by the heavy door just as the leader's hands grabbed through thin air catching nothing. Completely bewildered he and his team turned to see Gohan pulling at the door and in mere seconds had begun ripping it off the hinges. Several metal locks and heavy door bolts clanged on the ground at his feet. The door completely removed from the building, he set it against the back wall of the store.

"Sorry, but I can't stand by when my friends are in trouble," Gohan said apologetically to the awe struck policemen, mouths hanging open in stunned silence at what they just saw a little kid do.

"Could you wait here in case the robbers try to run out this doorway? Thanks!" Gohan said with a quick smile as he dashed into the grocery store. The officers couldn't utter a sound if they tried. The events of the last few seconds had left them in shock so all they could do was nod slowly.

Gohan made it into the back area of the store near the cold section and heard shouts coming from the front of the store.

"Quiet all of you! I've made up my mind and unless the rest of you want to join this pig in oblivion, shut yer traps!" A loud harsh yell from one of the thugs carried into his ears. Gohan walked quickly but determinedly through the aisle in front of him and shouted back, "That's enough!"

His voice got the attention of everyone conscious in the store. As he approached the checkout area he made sure to keep his Super Saiyan aura flashing around his body and hoped to use it as a scare tactic on the robbers. They all turned to look at the sight of this blond haired boy around ten years old, all bathed in yellow light as he emerged from the back of the store. Stunned silence seemed to follow as Gohan looked around and surveyed the situation.

Finally the lead thug spoke, "I don't know where you came from kid but this is a robbery and I'm not taking orders from anyone but me." His comrades just snickered and laughed at the absurdity of this kid's courage.

Gohan stared coldly at the lead thug who was squatting down next to Oolong and Puar with his gun aimed right at Oolong's forehead. Naturally, Oolong was sweating bullets. "This is your last warning. Let my friend and these people go," Gohan said in a dangerously calm voice not much different from when he took on Cell.

"Or you'll do what-" the lead robber started to say before Gohan made his move. Faster than anyone could see he grabbed the gun out the guy's hand and threw it towards the back area of the store he had come from. In mere seconds he grabbed the lead robber by his shoulders and threw him into a neighboring pile of stacked soup cans a few feet to Gohan's left. An explosion of metal soup cans flew in various directions around the robber as he collided with them and the floor. The other two armed robbers began screaming and opened fire. They shot into the aisle just where Gohan had stood a few moments before and rained bullets through the shelves and cans of goods. Many of the hostages screamed in horror. Anticipating their reaction, Gohan moved as soon as the first guy was flying into the soup cans and appeared behind the thug closest to the front exit. It was the burly looking guy. Gohan tapped him on his back very lightly causing the thug to jump and turn around to shoot whatever just touched him. Gohan simply grabbed at each and every bullet flying out of the gun until it was completely empty. The thug kept pulling the trigger but nothing came out and finally stopped after all he heard was clicking. To his horror, Gohan had a deep scowl on his face but remained completely unharmed. Gohan held his arms out toward the thug and opening his palms, all the bullets he had caught clattered to the floor at his feet. The robber just stared in shock for another few seconds before Gohan punched him in his gut and proceeded to kick him hard against one of the checkout stations. The guy hit the station with a loud bang and a nearby rack full of candy tumbled over him and covered his body. Gohan turned his attention to the skinny-looking guy who was about ready to pee his pants.

"D..d..don't you come near me, you monster!" He stammered fearfully while slowly stepping backwards and near one of the young kids trying to stay calm. Taking notice of the hostages he got an idea and pointed the gun at the little kids and their mother.

"You might be able to block bullets for whatever reason but they can't! Come near me and I'll let them have it!" He yelled feeling triumphant. Gohan bared his teeth out of pure anger and glared intently at the thug. It freaked the thug out and was the last look he saw before Gohan fazed out of existence and connected his right fist with the guy's face. The bakery section was just behind him and upon being punched by Gohan, there was an explosion of bagels, pastries, and metal behind the now freed hostages. All the thugs were out cold and no one moved for a few moments.

The young kids and their mom who was covering them had their eyes closed when the last thug pointed his gun at them. Gohan's gentle voice made them open their eyes. "Are you guys alright?" he asked.

The kids looked up to see him staring down at them with genuine concern and nodded still feeling a little shocked after everything that just happened. Gohan squatted down to their level, smiled and said in a cheerful voice, "I'm just here to help and make sure the bad guys don't hurt you."

The kids seemed to relax and smiled back at him. "Thank you young man! I don't know who you are but I'm just glad you were here to save us!" the mother of these kids said graciously. Gohan stood up and still smiling.

"Wait, you look just like the Delivery Boy from the Cell Games!" she exclaimed and then quickly added, "Not that that name suites you because it seems kind of demeaning but I do remember you now!"

Gohan just sported his "family" grin while rubbing his hair and said "Thanks!" before walking over to the employees tending to their coworkers.

As he approached them he said, "Can I help you guys with anything? Are they going to be alright?"

One of the employees, the store manager, spoke for them all, "No, you've helped us a bunch already! But could you remove those thugs from our goods? I think they may need a hospital visit before going to jail."

Gohan nodded and said, "Sure. It's the least I can do for trashing your store." He paused and bowed while saying "I'm sorry about the mess."

"The mess is a small price to pay for living kid. No need to be so formal," the store manager replied.

Gohan smiled at him in response and walked over to check on Oolong and Puar before attending to the thugs.

"Hey are you alright Oolong?" Gohan asked the pig who was rubbing his throbbing head.

"Aside from needing some headache medicine, I'm fine Gohan. Thanks for rescuing us but how did you know we were here?" he replied.

"I was at Bulma's and we saw everything on TV," Gohan explained.

"Go ahead and help get those thugs ready for the police," Puar piped up, "I'll help Oolong out."

"Ok!" Gohan replied as he went about digging the unconscious robbers out of their respective "burial sites."

Several minutes later he had the thugs propped up against one another on the floor. With a little help from the store employees they're hands were tied behind their backs with rope in case they managed to wake up. The store manager had removed the barricades at the front door and yelled outside that all was clear for the police to enter. Moments later several heavily armed policemen entered the store but soon realized that everything was returning to normal as their eyes fell upon the unconscious crooks tied up on the floor.

"Who did all this?" the police chief inquired stepping over to look at the crooks.

The store manager pointed to Gohan who had begun carrying one of the unconscious employees towards the front doors. "He's the one who saved us all. This kid is our hero!"

Gohan blushed briefly before turning to the chief and said, "Excuse me Sir. Can we get some of these people to the hospital?"

"Right, these people need medical attention! Hey, get the medics in here pronto!" He said to his team as a couple of them ran outside shouting for the medics.

As some of the unconscious and severely injured were lifted into stretchers for the awaiting police, the newscaster began interviewing people involved and the policemen as she was allowed. Gohan tried to take his time inside the store and avoid being seen but as luck would have it, he was asked to help move some of the injured and couldn't say no to helping out. He grabbed the three crooks and brought them outside under an overhang where the store stashed its share of outdoor equipment. " _I guess I can't let them get a cold or hypothermia from the rain._ " He thought to himself.

The officers spent some time looking through the crooks' clothes and unmasking them to figure out their identities. Upon removing the mask of the burly looking guy, they noticed a giant red mark tattooed on the back of his bald head.

One officer commented, "It seems these guys are new recruits into that Red Shark Gang."

"Excuse me, did you say the Red Shark Gang?" Tella asked with child-like enthusiasm while eavesdropping on various conversations. "As in the gang that is becoming somewhat of an underground legend in places?"

"That would be them," the officer assured her sighing.

"But why are they here? I thought they were mainly in Satan City?" she continued inquiring.

"Really can't say. This is the first I've seen of them here," he said. "Sorry to cut you off but we need to get these guys off to the hospital before we can get any more information out of them. Excuse me." He turned away and went to talk with the police chief on the matter.

Somewhat offended by being cut off so briskly she was about to chew him out when she saw Gohan easily lifting some of the people twice his size out of the store. _"_ _Now there's a story to add to an already budding gold pile!"_ She thought gleefully and went to interview him.

Through all the commotion at the grocery store, nobody seemed to notice three figures standing on a roof top just across the street. The two Cell Juniors and their human guide, Ken, watched as the events unfolded while seemingly hidden in the light rain and growing fog.

"This is an interesting development. It looks like that kid was here to stop a simple robbery from the Red Shark Gang," Ken said as his eyes fell over the crooks while listening to news reporter interviewing the people able to talk.

"The gang was formed in the last year or so and a high price was put on some of their members to be taken out!" he added.

"I see," Three replied somewhat amused, "Your master would be happy to hear that."

"Yes, he would but these guys seem incompetent. Robbing a shopping store during the day?" Amateurs!" Ken said with disdain in his voice.

"Shh!" Four hissed angrily to Ken and his brother, "I want to hear what they're talking about!"

Ken shut his mouth and listened so they could hear what was being said. Meanwhile, the news reporter was trying to get some answers from Gohan about the robbery as he was preparing to leave. "So, young man everyone here is saying you saved them from these crooks. How does it feel to be a hero?" Tella asked Gohan.

"Um, I just don't like to see people getting hurt," he replied feeling sheepish.

"Do you have a name? After interviewing some of these people, it sounds like you're the Delivery Boy from the Cell Games! Is that true?" Tella continued.

"I'm the boy from the Cell Games. Delivery Boy is what everyone is calling me so for now I guess that will work," Gohan said again. " _Not sure if that's better or worse than the names Grandpa wanted to give me when I was born. It's getting kind of annoying!"_ he thought to himself.

"Really? You sure you don't go by another name?" Tella pressed on.

"Well, that's the best name for now," Gohan said really starting to feel annoyed.

Before she could continue Oolong jumped in and said in a smug tone, "It's true that he saved us but if I hadn't tripped the alarm before he arrived, no one would have known this was happening!"

"Oh, so you're the one who got the attention of the police?" Tella turned her attention to him.

"Naturally!" he replied soaking in the spotlight, "it took a little bravery from me and my poor head (he pointed to his bruise) to get the job done!"

"But Oolong, that welt is from the cashier hitting you not the robbers!" Puar chimed in.

"Stay out of this Puar!" Oolong yelled at her as he turned beet red.

"Well, maybe you shouldn't be skirt chasing!" she replied in an offended tone.

"Well, maybe you should shape shift yourself into a bee and buzz off!" he shouted at her.

"If you had shape shifted into an ogre, Gohan wouldn't have had to save us and you'd be the hero!" she shouted back.

"I can only do that for so long, why couldn't you?!" Oolong spat back at Puar.

"Because I'm better at shifting into tools and smaller beings, not big pompous jerks!" she spat at him in kind.

Everyone in the vicinity just stared in embarrassment at the drama unfolding before them.

"So, do they always do this or are they just stressed out?" Tella asked to Gohan who put his hands behind his head and smiled nervously while saying, "It's just another day in life for me!"

The Cell Juniors just stared at the scene in mild annoyance while Ken waited for their command on what to do next. Four spoke up shortly after Oolong's outburst. "Well, that was mildly amusing but I'm getting a little bored now.

"Yes! And I'm kind of annoyed that this kid would destroy us without question, but is willing to show mercy to pathetic humans like that? Why do we have to be afraid of such a weak minded brat?!" Three spat in anger.

"You're letting the cells from Frieza get the better of you! We both know what his anger can do! Four replied, "But this hasn't been a complete waste of time..." He trailed off as his eyes caught notice of something peculiar Gohan was wearing. "What's on his waist?"

Ken and Three took a closer look at Gohan and noticed his "golden belt." "It looks just like a belt," Ken replied.

"A belt wrapped around his gi using a blue sash as a "belt" already? I know he didn't wear that during our last encounter!" Four exclaimed. "That has to be his tail!"

"What?!" Three said incredulously.

"Why is him having a tail so important?" Ken asked confused.

"It seems coming here today was a good idea after all!" Four said gritting his teeth in anger but somehow still slightly amused at the recent developments.

"Ugh, this kid is already stronger than us!" Three complained. "Now we have to deal with that?"

Ken felt like he was missing something but decided to not interrupt them during their ranting. His eyes fell across the taller looking thug propped up against one of the store's walls and took note of the round object one of the cops was removing from his clothes. "Heh, I take it back. If that kid hadn't showed up, they might have pulled this off after all!" Ken said with a laugh.

"What do you mean, human?" Three asked looking like he was ready to murder Ken.

Ken pointed at the cop holding the object and said, "They brought a bomb to use as a getaway distraction. And those gas tanks sitting nearby would surely cause a big enough distraction."

Three's eyes lit up with glee at this and he smiled devilishly while asking, "How much are those thugs there worth to your Master Shen?"

Ken thought for a moment and said, "Maybe half a million zeni. And that might be pushing it."

Three smiled and said, "We'll help you _haggle_ a better price then!"

He immediately pointed his right finger at the policeman holding the bomb and began charging up a pink death beam. Four whispered harshly, "What are you doing?! We'll be exposed if you do that!"

"Not if we leave now!" Three said out of seeming insanity and shot the laser-like beam without a second thought. Gohan had his back turned trying to calm Oolong and Puar down so he didn't see it coming, but he felt a small charge of ki just as Three fired the beam. Turning his head to see what he felt, he caught a glimpse of the beam connecting with the bomb and realized all too late what it was. The bomb erupted and being next to the gas tanks, caused the store to explode into a huge dome of fire and smoke. Before the tanks were even ruptured, the Cell Juniors and their human guide had already disappeared into a nearby alley not leaving any hint that they had been there at all.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Clearly this has been a long time coming! Hopefully it was worth the wait since it was long one to write.


	11. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer**

All original content is owned by Akira Toriyama and his affiliates.

 **Chapter 10:**

Gohan's instincts took over as he saw the bomb explode and unleashed a massive "wall" of ki in front of the people he was able to save. The explosion barely fazed him but his mind focused solely on protecting as many people as he could from being killed. Even as the smoke and dust settled, a large wall of yellow glowing ki could be seen by survivors and the growing crowd of spectators. Gohan kept his guard up as he searched around for any other signs of ki. Finding nothing to hone in on, he slowly dropped his wall of ki energy until only his own aura was flashing. Still wary, Gohan kept his senses open to any further attacks as he surveyed the damage. The entire store was nothing but a pile of rubble and a few buildings surrounding the property were showing signs of crumbling.

He turned around to look at Oolong, Puar, Tella, her cameraman, and other former hostages who stood in shock over what just happened.

"Is everyone, ok?" Gohan asked in a stern but concerned voice not usually heard from a child.

"Wh-what just happened?" She stammered in confusion and fear. This seemed to be on the minds of everyone nearby.

Gohan looked around and tried one more time to feel out any substantial ki signatures nearby but all he got was Vegeta's signature. " _That was no ordinary ki signature. I'm positive it was a beam just like Frieza's! But this doesn't make any sense!"_

While slowly relaxing he stared at Tella solemnly and said, "I wish I knew what happened. I saw the bomb explode and tried to keep everyone safe."

Sounds of more sirens echoed in the distance as more police cars and fire trucks rushed to the scene.

Oolong rushed over to Gohan and said in a whispered voice, "Gohan! If you don't want to deal with an onslaught of questions you'd better leave now!"

"He can't just leave Oolong!" Puar whispered quickly, "If he does that they might start blaming him. Better to try and explain his side of it than have doubts already in their minds!"

Gohan thought it over for a moment and said, "I'll stay and try to keep it simple. You guys go ahead and get out of here."

"No, way!" Oolong replied sporting a devious grin, "If you get credit for saving us, I want to share in it too! After all a friend of a celebrity gets similar benefits!"

Puar just tilted her head in disgust and said, "You're a real class act, Oolong!"

Sirens blazed louder and a seeming horde of police cars and fire trucks appeared on the scene. Onlookers were kept at bay with caution tape while those who survived the explosion were questioned on what happened. Obviously, no one but Gohan could guess at how it happened and he knew better than to tell the whole truth. He was also still trying to figure out how the signature move of long dead Frieza suddenly appeared as he was stopping a crime. His pondering over the how's and whys of the situation were interrupted as one of the officers asked him about it.

"So young man, you're the seeming hero who saved these people twice today. Do you have any idea what happened?" the officer questioned Gohan.

"Honestly, Sir, I don't," Gohan said doing his best to be truthful but still avoid the real reason. "All I saw was a bomb explode in that one officer's hands and just acted on instinct to keep as many people safe as I could."

Gohan also fought back tears of frustration over not being able to save the other officers who he interacted with only minutes before the explosion. And as the new arrival of policemen and firemen investigated the pile of rubble, Gohan overheard them saying that some of the store employees might have been caught in the explosion. He did his best to ignore that part and focused on the officer in front of him.

"Ok, could you explain to me how you were able to save most of the people here? It's really a miracle all of you are living at all?" the officer questioned again.

"Um, is it ok if I just show you what I did on a smaller scale?" Gohan asked sheepishly.

"Well, I guess that would be the best course. Go ahead, young man," the officer replied nodding.

Gohan stepped back to give a little space and then flared up his aura. His light show caught the attention of everyone around him as he said, "Basically, I let my energy block the bomb's energy."

Everyone, even the people he saved, just stared at him awestruck. After a few moments, someone shouted from the now huge crowd of hundreds of onlookers, "It's that kid from the Cell Games!"

At first, Gohan was feeling mildly annoyed and wishing that he had the stomach to just leave without saying a word. " _Great now they're going to ask me how I can do all this stuff! Just like that Videl girl!_ "

His feelings of hiding from fame were cut short as the guy added, "That's nothing but a bunch of tricks and light shows! You're no hero! Hercule Satan is the real hero and should've been here!"

Gohan turned to look at him in stunned shock. This was an unexpected reaction for him to receive. "Wh…what?" was all he could breathe out. The crowd of people around the now irate and red faced man just looked at him in shock and stunned silence.

"Don't you people get it? At the best he's just a poser! He lost to Cell and now he's gone and messed up with keeping us all safe from a simple robbery gone wrong!" The guy spat in full blown anger, "If he had been anything like Hercule he would have known those crooks were carrying a bomb!"

One of the officers walked over to the guy and tried to calm him, "Sir, please let us get to the root of this. Believe what you want but if this boy hadn't been here, these people standing behind us probably wouldn't be either."

"So what?! He's clearly not as skilled as Hercule! And why are you so calm about it? Weren't some of the dead your comrades too? He could save these few people here but he couldn't save my older brother from being blown up? Either he's just a wanna-be hero or the reason why there was a bomb here in the first place!" The guy finished yelling with all his anger directed right at Gohan.

Some people in the crowd began to murmur among themselves and say things like "What if he's right?" or "that kid did lose in the tournament so who does he think he is?" and some as far as "maybe he's the problem and is trying to trick us into believing he's a hero!"

Gohan felt terrible about how everyone was starting to treat him, but the fact that he wasn't able to save the family member of one of the people in the crowd really hit home with him. Add to that the guy was calling him a fraud and liar. " _I can't take this anymore I need to leave!_ "

Turning back to the officer who was asking him all the questions, Gohan said quickly with tears now brimming in his eyes, "I'm sorry, officer, but I have to go!"

He quickly grabbed Oolong and Puar before they could say anything and then flew off at top speed towards Capsule Corporation. He disappeared before anyone in the crowd could utter a single word.

* * *

Ken and the two Cell Juniors had made it out of West City without anyone noticing they had been there in the first place. He glanced back over his shoulder and could see that the city was nothing more than a speck in the distance. " _Well, at least these monsters are good at staying undetected!"_ He thought to himself as he noticed them behind him. Suddenly one of them gave a sign with his right hand to stop moving and slowing his motor, Ken came to a stop.

"We're far enough away and no one is coming so we should assume no one saw us," Four said seemingly annoyed.

"What were you thinking? You know that kid could find us in a heartbeat but you still wanted to cause chaos?" He turned on Three to berate his brother, "Yes, but we need to be patient! Father kept himself hidden until reaching his perfect form by not exploding _all_ the places he went to!" Four retorted.

"Father would want us to shake things up!" Three replied, "Why do we have to be afraid of that kid anyway? You saw that he wasn't in that ascended transformation! If we get to him before he gets a chance to pull it out, we'll be able to kill him!"

"And do you want to risk the chance that he might already have full access to it but is conserving his energy? Not to mention that Father will be unhappy if we denied him his chance at revenge?" Four replied more coyly.

Three just stared at him in silence for a few moments thinking. He finally replied with a frustrated yell and shot a car-sized ki blast at a nearby boulder. It exploded into dust within seconds. Ken gave a quick stare of bewilderment as the dust cleared and quickly became fascinated with dirt collecting on his motorcycle. "Fine, we'll play it your way for now but if you weren't my brother I'd kill you where you stand!" Three replied like a bratty kid who couldn't get his way.

Four just stared at Three with a glare on his face before finally replying, "I think we need a break from each other for a while. We're only good together when in battle. You take care of the Crane Hermit's weak humans!"

Three looked at him in amazement before replying, "What?! So you're just going to abandon the plan?!"

Ken also gave a look of amazement but said nothing to avoid any consequences.

"No, I've discovered something unique today and want to check it out for myself. I'll let you take care of them because if they irritate you, you can always kill off the Crane's useless students," Four said smiling menacingly.

Three thought about it for a few minutes before replying, "Fine. I guess we are developing our own individual personalities by the day and your methods were starting to annoy me. Do what you want but don't lose sight of our goal."

Three turned to Ken said in a sharp tone, "Human, take us back to the dojo!" Ken immediately gave a nod of understanding and started up his motorcycle. Both Cell Juniors then gave each other a final nod as Four tuned sprinted off in a different direction than the Crane's dojo.

* * *

Though feeling completely out of sorts, Gohan had made sure that he dropped out of his Super Saiyan form when he landed behind Capsule Corporation's largest building. He didn't want to bring any unwanted attention to Bulma's door.

"Oolong, you were right. I should have left when I had the chance," Gohan said to Oolong and Puar as he let go of them after touching down on the grass.

"Don't beat yourself up kid," He said irritably, "Those people don't know a real hero when they see one."

"Yeah, and besides the people you saved know the truth. You have supporters still," Puar said trying to encourage him.

Gohan just gave a small sad smile before saying, "Thanks but I don't feel like a hero right now anyway. I wasn't able to save everyone and that guy said I let his older brother die..."

"You know for being the smartest boy in the world, you sure seem to forget some important things!" A female voice called from a nearby door of the facility.

Gohan looked in the direction of the voice and saw Bulma coming over. She saw how dejected Gohan looked and knelt down to place her hands on his shoulders. "You and your father before you seem to place all the burdens of protecting people on your shoulders but forget that we can fix things with the dragon balls to help you out."

Gohan perked up a little at this and said, "I seem to forget about them a lot. How did you know I'd be here?"

"It was just broadcast on the news about you. They said you left soon after the bomb exploded, plus I know you pretty well," She replied with a wink.

"Why don't we all go inside and have something to eat? It may not be the time but I know Gohan hasn't had a proper lunch yet," Bulma said trying to keep his spirits up.

"Well, we did manage to get food before the robbery started," Oolong stated.

"Um, actually, is it ok if I just go home instead? I don't want to be rude but I just want to get away from the city for now," Gohan replied sadly.

"Alright, if that's what you want but how about taking some food with you?" Bulma said.

"Ok. I did promise Mom I'd bring home groceries," Gohan replied trying to be cheerful.

"Oolong, give him the capsule," Bulma commanded.

"What? After all the trouble to get the food in the first place?!" he exclaimed.

"You'll just have to go out and get some more somewhere else! You can use my scooter to get there," Bulma replied firmly.

"But...can't we just eat some now and give him the rest after we're done eating?" Oolong pleaded while holding the capsule deep in his right pocket with a tight grip.

Bulma noticed his strange behavior and gave him a look that said 'I don't trust you.'

"What else did you pick up besides food Oolong?" Bulma asked as she stepped towards him.

Oolong began backing away in shame and said, "N-nothing except some magazines," he stammered.

"You mean the women's magazines?! You Pig!" Bulma yelled as she smacked him across his face, grabbed at his right hand, and pried the capsule from his grasp. She clicked the button, tossed the capsule on the grass, and it exploded into a pile of grocery bags. One of them was filled to the brim with magazines ranging from women's health and fitness to dressing up for the right occasion.

"You spent my money on stuff like this?!" She yelled as she began chasing him around the yard in comic fashion while smacking Oolong with one of the thickest magazines. "If Chi-Chi had seen any of this I'd get an earful for sending it home with Gohan!" Through all this Gohan and Puar just watched while sweat dropping.

Several minutes of grumbling and forced reorganizing, Oolong capsulized the groceries for Gohan and gave him the capsule.

"Thanks! I guess this will make Mom happy!" Gohan said.

"It's less than you deserve but still better than nothing. Go home and relax, kiddo!" Bulma said to Gohan with a cheerful smile on her face.

"I hope Mom didn't have the TV on. The last thing I need is her to worry too much," Gohan said still feeling down about the recent events.

"Bulma could you do me a favor?" Gohan asked before taking his leave.

"Sure, kiddo. What do you need?" Bulma replied without hesitation.

"If you hear anything the news that seems strange or suspicious could you let me know?" Gohan said while giving her a serious look.

"Why? Does this have something to do with that bomb exploding? I thought it just detonated accidentally like the newscaster reported. Something else going on?" She asked.

"Yeah, right before it exploded I saw a beam of ki connect with it. It looked and felt like Frieza's beam," Gohan explained.

"How?" Bulma said sounding worried, "He's long gone and only Cell had the ability to replicate that and he's gone too…right?"

"Yeah, I made sure of that," Gohan noted with a sigh, "but this is just too convenient so soon after his defeat. I don't know what it means but if anything turns up, let me know. Ok?"

"Sure. Don't you want to let anyone else know like Piccolo or Dende?" She asked still worried about the recent development.

"I will on my way home, actually. I'd rather be safe than sorry. I'll just let Piccolo and Dende know but I don't want to worry anyone else until we know what's going on," Gohan stated.

"I'll see you later Bulma. Thanks again!" Gohan said with a quick smile before turning around and flying off. As he got to a high enough altitude he raised his ki and flew off toward his home. " _I'll let them know when I see them in a couple days. I know I should do it sooner than later but I wonder if maybe I'm going crazy. Besides, Piccolo did tell me I wasn't completely myself and after what just happened I don't know what to make of things._ "

Maybe half an hour later, Gohan touched down outside his house. He could smell cooking going on inside and his stomach made it clear that it was hungry no matter what his brain was telling him _._ " _Thanks Mom! Now I really am hungry!"_

"Hi, Mom! I'm home!" Gohan shouted as he entered his house. "I brought back some groceries like I promised!"

Those words had barely escaped his lips when Chi-Chi rushed over and hugged him tightly. "Oh, my baby! You're alright! I was worried when I saw you disappear on the TV! I'd like to give that man a piece of my mind!"

"Mo-! Can-! B-!" Gohan tried to sputter out as she gave him a tight squeeze that took the wind out of him.

Finally seeing her son's face turning a blue color, Chi-Chi let him go and Gohan took in deep breaths of air.

Regaining himself, Gohan asked her "You saw what happened on TV?"

"Yes, everything!" Chi-Chi replied. "I'm glad you were there to save those people, but I'd prefer that you didn't get involved too much anymore!"

Gohan just looked at her bewildered "But if I hadn't been there Oolong and Puar might not be alive! And I can't just ignore people in trouble after everything I've been through!"

"Gohan, I'm sure the police had everything under control before you arrived. Plus, this world is full of people who are going to do that more often than you think. It's unfortunate but it will always happen. These aren't earth destroying menaces, just crooks! I want my baby to become a fine scholar and won't have you distracted being a crime fighter!" Chi-Chi said in a commanding tone.

"You promised me you'd do your best to help out around the house and return to your studies," she added.

"Yes, Mom I did, but I can't just sit like a bump on a log and let my muscles waste away! I need to get outside now and then. Plus, when I go get supplies like today, what if something happens while I'm out? I can't just avoid it!" Gohan began pleading.

The famous temper Chi-Chi was known for began shining through "Your father's influence is turning you into a delinquent! I won't let that happen to my baby and that's final! You can go to Piccolo for these meditations sessions but no more fighting is allowed and that's my final word!" Chi-Chi yelled shaking the house and making Gohan cringe in fear.

"Now, please decapsulize the groceries and help me put them away. I'm positive that you're hungry so I can make a small lunch for you while getting dinner ready," Chi-Chi said matter-of-factly while turning around heading back into the kitchen to continue her cooking.

Feeling dejected but not wanting to disobey his mom for fear of further wrath, Gohan walked into the kitchen, opened the groceries, and began helping his mom put them away.

As Gohan finished helping her out Chi-Chi put a salad bowl sized portion of rice and chicken on the table and said, "Hopefully this will hold you until dinner but since you're home earlier than expected we'll have an early dinner anyway. This way you can get to bed by dark since you have a lot of catching up to do tomorrow."

"Thanks Mom," Gohan said trying to sound cordial and dug into his lunch. His tail swished behind the chair out of frustration for him and Chi-Chi was none the wiser.

" _Well, at least I can easily avoid seeing the moon tonight,_ " He thought grudgingly.

* * *

Ken and Three returned to the Crane School a couple hours after the explosion in West City. Shen and Tao were busy roughing up the students when they noticed that a Cell Junior was missing. Wondering what it meant they told their students to continue on without them and walked over to meet with the arriving pair.

"My brother and I decided to part ways for a time. He has a secret agenda on his mind and will tell me about it when he's ready," Three grumbled audibly as they walked over to him.

"Which one of you has returned then?" Shen asked.

"Really? Isn't it obvious by now?" Three said feeling annoyed.

"I see," Shen said feeling nervous and then turned to his students and shouted "Everyone, Master Three has returned so you will take instruction from him for the rest of the day!"

Everyone stopped what they were doing and stood at attention waiting for further instruction. Three eyed them all keenly before asking, "Who feels like taking a break before we begin?"

At first no one replied but then one student replied, "Would a quick drink of water be ok Master Three?"

Three smiled a wicked grin and said, "Yes. You may have a drink!"

Before the student could express gratitude, Three rushed at him and did a quick snap of his left wrist. The student yelled in pain and clutched his broken hand. Feeling no remorse or pity, Three thrusted his right foot into the student and sent him flying into a pond.

"Well, I gave him what was promised. Anyone else?" Three stated feeling a little more joyful.

The only replies were the other students shaking their heads.

"Good. I've been told by Master Shen that you are learning the Dodo ray. Let's see some progress! First to kill the human in the pond wins! And you better put all your effort into it or you'll be next!" Three commanded with delight.

" _He's going to kill off all our students until there are no more left!_ " Tao telepathically said to Shen.

" _We'll just have to get more then. Remember we want the best of the best and that guy was too stupid to realize he was being setup to fall,_ " Shen replied, " _Plus we should just let him amuse himself so he doesn't turn on us._ "

" _I suppose you're right brother,"_ Tao agreed but smiled in spite of himself, " _Though he is much more cruel than ever I could be. I'll have to take some pointers from him._ "

Shen just chuckled and added, " _In time it will all be worth it._ "

"Master Shen?" Ken said as he approached the Crane Brothers, "I have some interesting news for you. With Master Three's help we took out some of the Red Shark Gang members in West City."

"You're sure about that?" Shen said curiously.

"Yes, master. It should be on the evening news and we clearly saw them die in a bomb explosion courtesy of Master Three," Ken replied. "He has offered to ensure we get the credit and a good price regardless of who they were."

Shen smiled wickedly and said, "That is good news! We'll be able to put forth funds to further our goal!"

"Master, in what way?" Ken asked.

"We need to further our training and after hearing about how Capsule Corporation has created a gravity machine, we'll be able to buy one in no time at all!" Shen replied in delight.

"Buy one?" Ken asked bewildered.

"Yes. Or at least pay someone to build one for us. We don't have the capability to do that but someone there does. Tao, after Three has had his fun today, we'll take him and go meet with our clients to get our money's worth," Shen said.

"As you wish brother," Tao said while watching the waterlogged student scream in pain while being burned by multiple Dodon rays. "Sad to see potential students die, but I do enjoy a good killing."

* * *

Gohan sat at the table finishing the feast of a dinner in front of him while several dishes sat empty on the table. He had to stifle a huge burp to avoid another temper tantrum from his mom.

"Thank you Mom! That was delicious!" He expressed his gratitude to her. Gohan felt a little better after filling his stomach for the day.

"Of course sweetie!" Chi-Chi replied wiping her face and finishing her last bits of food.

"I know it's a little early but I'm feeling tired so I think I'll just go lay down in my room. Maybe I'll read a book or something," Gohan said getting up to put his dishes in the sink.

"That's a good idea," Chi-Chi said getting up from the table to do the dishes. "You'll need to be ready for your studies."

She walked over and gave him a kiss on his forehead. "If I don't see you before you fall asleep, have a good night!"

Gohan nodded with a smile and walked toward his room. As he entered his room he heard his mom call from the kitchen, "Don't forget to brush your teeth!"

Sighing, he obliged and walked into the bathroom to clean himself. Several minutes later, Gohan lay down on his bed. He crossed his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling while lost in thought.

" _I really hate disobeying Mom but I can't just stop my training completely! Not with everything I've been through and whatever happened today. I'll tell Piccolo about the situation when I see him next week and see what he thinks."_

His eyes lost focus on the ceiling and he found himself turning to look out his bay window. The sunlight was still strong but definitely lower in the sky. Some white puffy clouds drifted over it creating various shades across the world outside. Gohan also caught a quick glimpse of a faded white circle in the sky and after a few seconds of staring at it he quickly wised up to what it was and shut the curtains to block outside light.

" _That was a close call! I almost forgot about the moon And that's another reason I can't stop training. Well, only a few more days and the full moon will be gone!_ " Gohan thought to himself as he got into his pajamas and lay back down on his bed. He picked up a science book and began thumbing through it to make himself sleepy. Upon reaching the section about cell biology, Gohan looked at the pages with disgust and tossed the book on the floor. " _I think I'll just stare at the ceiling until I fall asleep."_ He thought to himself. Half an hour later he was fast asleep but his sleep would not be pleasant as he drifted in and out of unwelcomed dreams revolving around Cell, Frieza, and his dad.

* * *

 **Author's Note (4/28/2018):**

I didn't forget about this story just haven't had a lot of time.

For the story itself, there are many changes in the air and not all of it is good. And they had 7 years of peace in the anime? Not here!


	12. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer**

All original content is owned by Akira Toriyama and his affiliates.

 **Chapter 11:**

Several days had passed since the now famous bombing in West City. During those days Gohan got back to a familiar studying routine he didn't realize he had missed. Though he didn't like sitting in his chair for long hours without moving, he still enjoyed learning new things and reading just to take his mind off the events of the last month. Occasionally he would get up from his studies to take breaks and popping open his window, he'd step outside to enjoy the warm spring air. When he could be sure his mom wasn't near or looking Gohan would sneak in the basic exercises: push-ups, sit-ups, and crunches. He'd stay low and near his window and get in a couple hundred of each before deciding to stop and get back to reading his books. Gohan would also go into his Super Saiyan form when reading long segments and Chi-Chi was sure to be occupied and not disturb him. She only came by when he needed her to review his work or to tell him a meal was ready. Most of the time he kept his door closed so she wouldn't hear anything that would raise her suspicion.

Unbeknownst to Gohan, his mom left him alone mainly due to her increasing attention to what the world was saying about him. Knowing how it would affect his studies, she made sure the TV was on a low setting and faced towards the kitchen while she cooked and cleaned. Even with the growing baby inside her, she showed no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

One of the days when she was preparing a nice lunch for the two of them to have outside, she decided to flip through channels for something to listen to in the background and wanted to find a cooking channel she recently become fascinated with. One channel she came across had a commercial promoting an upcoming interview with Hercule Satan and would focus on his thoughts on the West City bombing. She felt the urge to both listen to and toss the TV as far as her strength would allow her. But hoping to hear some good things about Gohan and against her better judgement, Chi-Chi relented to listen. Expectedly, her chopping of the food got steadily more forceful and menacing as the interview played out.

"We're live with the one and only Hercule Satan for an exclusive interview at his own glorious mansion! Mr. Satan how are you doing today?" The interviewer said.

"Ohh, yeah! I'm doing great!" Hercule proudly stated as he flashed his victory sign and grinned at the camera. He was wearing his trademark brown gi and champion's belt. "I figured I'd dress appropriately for the occasion!"

" _What no bathrobe made out of fur and wine in hand to drink?"_ Chi-Chi thought sourly while chopping some tomatoes.

The interviewer smiled and nodded while saying "It was really nice of you to let us come into your lovely home and talk with you here. This is a really nice room you have!"

The camera slowly panned around a lavishly decorated room showing a wall sized TV, an elongated glass coffee table, a large leather sofa, a plush armchair, and several paintings and photos of Hercule at glorified moments from his winning bouts. "It truly is a treasure trove of your greatest matches and what they've allowed you to do with your lifestyle!"

"Well, that helped but this room is just a smaller part of the mansion that my loyal fans enabled me to have!" Hercule proudly stated, "After the interview, I'll personally give you a tour of the mansion and grounds. That will also include the area that I am having built for my gym to train anyone who wants to learn martial arts from me! Lessons won't be free of course but I will give out some free lessons to the first hundred people who sign up. I'll get into those details as the building is finished of course!"

 _"_ _Goku would've given free lessons to any newcomers you greedy scumbag! Hmm, well maybe he should have started his own dojo…"_ She continued to think while cutting up more vegetables.

"Well, that sounds really generous of you to give back to those who helped you to where you are today!" the interviewer commented. "What about your daughter, Miss Videl? Will she be joining us?"

"Nah," Hercule said, "She's currently finishing her classes at school and will be receiving some basic training from the local police force. She sure is something! She's willing to commit to her school studies, bring down crooks, and train under me on a regular basis! I couldn't be more proud of my sweet pea!"

 _"_ _Well, hopefully any bloodline relative of his will show more promise! Good for her!"_ Chi-Chi thought once more.

"Hah! Hah! Well, Mr. Satan that all sounds great! But may we get onto a more serious matter? One of the reasons that we wanted to have this interview today was to get your thoughts on the recent bombing in West City," the interviewer said as he shifted the tone.

At this point Chi-Chi was cleaning some dishes to make room for additional cutting and chopping. She let the water run and turned to hone in on what that man was going to say.

Hercule sat down in the arm chair across from the interviewer, made a coughing motion to clear his throat and said, "Yes, I was aware beforehand that we would be talking about that today."

"And what do you think of some recent claims that the young boy was the cause of the bombing in the first place?" the interviewer asked Hercule.

"I don't believe for one second that kid had anything to do with it!" Hercule said assuredly, "But I'd have to say he was definitely in over his head!"

"So, you think he was trying to help and made the situation worse by being there?" the interviewer pressed on.

Chi-Chi was ready to throttle the interviewer at this point.

"I don't know for sure but I definitely think he's just an amateur at best. I have to say, I'm no expert in detecting bombs myself, but after dealing with Cell, I can see certain signs of what a bomb looks like, let alone making sure the bad guys are out cold," Hercule said thoughtfully.

I could have done all that with one hand behind my back," Hercule stated proudly while laughing boisterously.

"I could knock you senseless with one hand behind my back and my eyes closed you ungrateful oaf!" Chi-Chi hissed out loud.

"But why did he flee the scene so suddenly? Some think he's guilty for doing that!" the interviewer acknowledged.

"I'd guess that all the pressure just got to him. If it were me, I would've stayed but he is just a kid after all. I give him props for trying. Though I'll admit leaving with a well-hidden jet pack is quite the exit! He's got smarts but as a fighter, he's got a long way to go!" Hercule stated firmly.

Chi-Chi couldn't listen to it anymore and shutoff the TV. Returning to the vegetables and meat in front of her, she took her chef's knife and savagely chopped at all the remaining food. Several broken cutting boards, and inch-deep dents in the counter later she had finished prepping the meal and added it into a huge pot. " _I'll show them how good of a person Gohan can really be! Going to a public school will definitely get the word out that he is more than capable and that being a fighter isn't everything you need to make it in this world!"_

* * *

A couple of days later Gohan dressed in his purple gi and flew to the Lookout to continue his morning meditation training with Piccolo. Waiting until he was out of the house and a good distance away, he changed to his Super Saiyan form and flew at top speed to the Lookout. As he landed Piccolo and Dende stood near the side to greet him.

"Hi Piccolo! Hi Dende!" Gohan said cheerfully as he landed in front of them. "Sorry I couldn't make it the other day. Mom was really pushing me to finish chapters on a specific subject that I really didn't want to read about just yet."

Dende just stared at him in confusion while Piccolo asked in disgust, "Please tell me it had nothing to do with the human anatomy or reproduction?"

Gohan looked at him for a moment before replying in a carefree manner, "Oh, no I already read that one several months ago! It was shocking at the time but I guess I got to learn at some point!"

"Ugh, ok so what was it that you didn't feel comfortable about?" Piccolo questioned trying to change the subject.

Gohan's smile disappeared as he stated flatly, "Cell biology."

A pin drop could fall at this point and nothing except it and the wind would be heard as the three friends just stood there in awkward silence.

Piccolo finally coughed and said, "Well, we won't be dealing with that today for sure. Let's get started and see if we can't remove feelings of that word from your mind. You definitely seem a lot calmer than when you were here last time. Did you manage to get through to Vegeta?"

"Yeahh…about that," Gohan said while looking down at his feet and rubbing them into the ground nervously. "There's something I want to talk to you guys about…"

* * *

"So, you'll pay the amount we've decreed?" Master Shen said to a plump, nervous looking man wearing a brown business suit and tie. Shen sat on a floor cushion sipping a hot cup of tea in hand while eying the man curiously.

Tao stood behind Shen with his arms crossed behind his back and just stared at the man without a trace of emotion on his face. Three stood on Shen's left making a mock blowing gesture at his right index finger which was actually showing wisps of smoke. Four severely charred outlines on the wall behind the nervous man stared back at the Crane Masters and Cell Junior.

"Y-yes, of-of course!" He stammered keenly watching Three who only smiled menacingly back at him.

"Very good!" Shen said as he finished his cup of tea and placed it on a small table in front of him. "We will expect a payment no later than three business days from today. You may take your leave now and hopefully if you have any new partners with you in the future, they won't be as rude as your former associates here were." Shen gestured to the dark shadows at the wall facing him.

The scared man nodded his head quickly in affirmation and stood up, never taking his eyes off of Three as he did so. Coughing to clear his throat and muster up what little courage he had left the man replied, "I will deliver to you personally to ensure you get the right amount. Good day, gentlemen."

He gave a quick bow and turned to walk out of the front door of the Crane School. "Oh, two more things my good man," Tao spoke up and made the guy stop mid-turn. Tao had not said a word once during their meeting.

"We will be adding an additional fee for the wall damage. Fifty thousand zeni should suffice," Tao said in a business-like fashion.

The man just nodded in return; sweat pouring profusely down his face before replying with "Sure thing! And the other item?"

"It may go without saying but should you tell _anyone_ that our blue friend here is alive and well, we will kill you," Tao stated matter-of-factly, "It will be easy for us to find out and track you down."

The businessman nodded assuredly, bowed gracefully, turned and walked at a brisk pace out the front door without looking back.

"Whether he delivers it all or not, Three can do as he pleases with the guy," Shen proclaimed as he got to his feet.

"You think he'll tell other people anyway?" Tao asked as he walked to the center of the dojo floor.

Shen followed and stood opposite Tao to face his brother. "Maybe, but I always hated dealing with power-hungry slobs like him. We can find newer buyers who will be willing to pay but we may not need too many more funds after the amount we've been ensured with this guy. I intend to start buying materials or services in the next week and it seems like we are ruining his life with our fees. Does the idea help satiate your lust of destruction, Master Three?"

Three had been watching keenly as they got ready to spar one-another from a distance and said, "Just make sure that human has more of his so-called body guards with him. With every passing day my body evolves and Father would be happy to know that I am getting hungry for some _energy_."

* * *

"Given what you went through at the time, I can understand why you didn't tell us Gohan," Piccolo commented.

" _Come on Vegeta! Gohan really needs some help from you!"_ Piccolo thought to himself.

"I'm sorry, Piccolo" Gohan said with his head bowed in shame and tail swishing behind him. "I've been trying to figure out if I was seeing something real or if my mind was tricking me so I didn't want to worry you guys over nothing."

"I haven't really sensed anything unusual out there, but I haven't been focusing in on the earth since I've been trying to train myself in various ways too," Dende said.

"So do you guys think it was the stress or is there really something strange going on?" Gohan asked them.

"Unfortunately, until we know more or get a strong presence showing itself, we'll have to leave it be for now," Piccolo replied sighing.

"And no, I don't think you're going crazy Gohan. Besides we'll be prepared for anything that shows up with you around," he added with a smile.

Gohan smiled at him in kind ad Piccolo continued on, "Speaking of which lets spend some time clearing your thoughts so we can work on your inner strength. You can stay in Super Saiyan form since you've been so comfortable with it but I want you to lower your ki to virtually nothing."

"Ok, but how again is this going to me stay in control?" Gohan asked as he sat down in a seiza position with his hands curled facing upward on his knees. He pushed his ki down as low as he could.

Piccolo sat down in a cross legged position opposite Gohan and said, "We're going to spend time calming your mind to open it for suggestion. I guess humans would call it hypnosis. It will empower you to be both confident and in complete control as well as reducing that power trip that all Saiyans seem to have."

"All Saiyans, Piccolo?" Gohan asked curiously.

"Between your father, Vegeta, that Nappa guy, and your uncle Radish I think I get the picture on how big of an ego trip the Saiyan race had," Piccolo said smirking somewhat.

"Um, Piccolo, I think my uncle's name is Radditz," Gohan corrected him.

Piccolo just glared at his student angrily for a moment as a large vein began popping out of his forehead.

"Last I checked he was _Dead_! The point is that your Saiyan half needs to have its ego deflated and that's what these lessons are supposed to help with! So, shut up, close your eyes and focus on what I have to say!" Piccolo yelled in annoyance.

Gohan smiled inwardly at embarrassing Piccolo and thought, " _Just like old times!_ "

After several hours of some intense meditation, Gohan was still in his Super Saiyan form but at maximum power. But after many tries to calm himself (as well as lost palm trees) he didn't need anyone yelling for him to stop before going out of control. Gohan felt in control of himself once again and almost ready to push himself to the next level without any reservations.

"I'm sure you want to continue Gohan, but it's a little after noon and I know how your mom can be if you are late," Piccolo said to Gohan.

" _I still have trouble registering how powerful and imposing Gohan can be at this level and he still isn't even showing half of his true potential at this point._ " Piccolo once again took notice to Gohan's tail fully bathed in golden light as it lazily swished in the air behind his student. " _And then there's that power._ "

"I guess so, but I'm really feeling like I can open the door to the next level and handle it this time!" Gohan said almost whining. He hated not being able to finish when he felt like he was so close.

"Yes, but we are not in a rush like with other training sessions before and I'd rather not get on your mom's bad side," Piccolo said sternly. "Besides, you've really trained your mind and body a lot over the past few years so getting through this part should be the easiest. I think the next part will be more difficult than you think."

Gohan reluctantly powered down to base form as he said, "Ok, I'll be patient, Piccolo."

As an afterthought he curiously asked, "Wait, so even you're afraid of Mom?"

"To be honest, Gohan, I'd rather take on Frieza again than face your mom's wrath! And that was before she started carrying a baby," Piccolo replied with sweat forming on his forehead. "Go ahead and go home for lunch and back to your studies. We can resume again in a couple of days."

His eyes widening in a gleeful manner Gohan said "Ok, thanks again Piccolo! I'll see you guys later then!"

Gohan seemingly rushed off in a hurry while Piccolo and Dende were left feeling the rush of wind at his quick departure.

"So, what got his attention the most: Chi-Chi or lunch?" Dende asked curiously.

Smiling Piccolo replied, "He's more like his father than he's willing to admit so I think it was the prospect of food. Let's get back to your training, Dende. While Mr. Popo plants some more seeds, I want to see if you can heal some of the trees still not completely torn apart."

* * *

"Mom! I'm home!" Gohan called as he entered the front door of his house.

"Good timing, Gohan!" Chi-Chi called from the kitchen. "Go wash up and we can eat some lunch! I've got some good news to tell you!"

Curious as to what she meant by "good news" Gohan did as he was told and walked into the bathroom to wash his hands. Minutes later he walked into the kitchen and sat down to a typical scene of food piled high on the table and just waiting for him to eat it. His stomach growled loudly and as Chi-Chi sat down, she gave him the go-ahead to dig in.

"Thanks Mom!" was all he said before reaching for pieces of chicken, rice, and an assortment of vegetables to fill him up. Even though he ate at a pace most humans would deem impossibly fast, Gohan still managed to do it in a way that his mom wouldn't scold him over his eating habits.

As they finished their meals Chi-Chi took the opportunity to tell Gohan her news. "So, what do you think of going to a public school either later this year or first thing next year?" She asked as Gohan finished swallowing the last pieces of food from his plate.

"Go to public school? You mean with other kids my age?" He said caught off guard by her question.

"Yes, while I think you're way ahead of any other kids your age, it means nothing if you can't prove it to the world that your smart mind exists!" Chi-Chi said.

"Wow, I never thought about going to public school, but I guess that makes sense," Gohan said as the shock of the question slowly wore off.

"You'd also be able to start making friends with kids your age. You hardly know any at this point. Your Dad's friends aren't your age and don't always act appropriately around you. Especially the one _who's several hundred years old_ …" Chi-Chi said adding emphasis to her last few words.

"I guess you're right," Gohan noted embarrassed at the mention of who she was referring to, "but Dende is closer to my age than anyone else."

"Yes, but he's the closest alien friend. We live on Earth and you should also make friends with other earth-like kids too. You do want to be a renowned scholar someday still, right?" Chi-Chi pressed on.

"Well, yeah, of course Mom-" Gohan attempted to say before she but in with "Great! Then tomorrow we will go and visit a school of particular interest I found!"

"Ok, but why so suddenly Mom? I still have to finish what I started this year! And why couldn't I pick or at least look at where I wanted to go?" Gohan asked trying to be polite despite the quickly changing schedule his Mom seemed to be forcing upon him.

"Because I'm your mother and I know what's best for my little scholar!" Chi-Chi replied.

"Oh, just think about it! People will know you're a smart kid, maybe get you an advanced placement for college at such a young age, and even meet up with a nice girl to settle down and marry someday!" Chi-Chi continued with stars gleaming in her eyes.

At this point Gohan knew he wasn't going to win an argument with her and sighing he asked, "Um, ok. So, what's the school we'll be checking out tomorrow then?"

"It's called Orange Star Middle School and it's in the newly renamed town of Satan City," She said slowly coming out of her reverie.

"But Mom!" Gohan protested without thinking ahead, "that's where Hercule lives, right? The guy who stole our credit! I'm not sure I like being around someone like that!"

"GOHAN!" Chi-Chi yelled forcing him to recoil in fear. "You will do as I say and that's final! I know how much of a fool that guy is but by you showing off your academic prowess we can make you better than the Neanderthal he's turned out to be!"

"Yes, Mom" Gohan said meekly while still cowering in fear of his mother's wrath that he incurred.

"That's a good boy. Now , go find a nice pair of pants and shirt to wear for tomorrow. The other reason you couldn't make a choice is because I've already made an appointment with this school for tomorrow and I intend to keep it! If it turns out this place won't work, then I'll let you start making informed decisions," She said in a calmer but still firm tone.

"Yes, Mom," was all Gohan could utter before going to his room to sort out the proper attire.

"And after you've found a good outfit, you can return to your studies. I think you had history to read today," She said as Gohan walked out of the kitchen and headed for his room.

" _I guess Piccolo was right! Frieza seems like a walk in the park compared to dealing with Mom's temper!"_ Gohan thought sourly as he dug in his closet for a nice looking outfit his mom would approve of.

"One more thing! I won't have people staring at you like some sort of freak so make sure to wrap your tail around your waist like a belt again!" Chi-Chi yelled over running water in the kitchen, "I'll knock them senseless if they say anything but I don't want it to come to that if we can avoid it!"

" _Though, Mom still looks out for me even if she drives me crazy!"_ Gohan thought to himself smiling. He couldn't help thinking back to Mr. Shu a few years ago when she threw the "tutor" out his bedroom window and chuckled at the thought. " _I guess her temper has its advantages!"_

* * *

A little over a week had passed since the fateful day that the world deemed Hercule Satan the hero who defeated Cell and sent him on a one-way trip to his own personal eternity in suffering. Being dead but still retaining his body, he was deemed a perfect candidate for Hell. Upon the sentencing by King Yemma, Cell initially found himself in a white colored room with only a wooden door as an exit. He took notice of a TV and antennae placed on a wooden table by one of the walls. No chair was provided for comfort and no remote or on/off switch was provided for the TV. The TV turned on immediately and began showing a scene all too familiar to Cell: Gohan in his ascended form staring back at him, the eyes showed pure rage but he was still sporting _that_ smirk.

Cell screamed like an enraged lunatic and let his power radiate throughout his prison at the sight in front of him, "I AM PERFECT! NO ONE COMPARES TO ME! NOT EVEN THAT BOY! RAHHH!"

The force sent the TV, antennae, and table through one of the walls and seemingly out of existence. The door to an unknown area just slammed in and out of the door frame as he powered up. Several moments of screaming passed before his outburst of power began to wane and he calmed down some. His tantrum finished, Cell powered down completely and just stared at a gaping hole in the wall where the TV was for a moment and watched it heal itself until the wall was whole again. Seconds later, the TV, antennae, and table reappeared where they had been; more scenes from the recent battle played out in front of him and began to rekindle his anger once more and the volume of the TV seemed to amplify in strength.

"No! This is not happening! Not again!" he began shaking his head and sputtering in frustration and as he did he took notice of something peculiar. Cell could see cracks in the TV and dents in the table. His eyes also noticed how the walls seemed uneven and didn't mesh perfectly with one another at the corners. Picking out these imperfections, his eyes wandered over to the wooden door and it too showed nonconformity. The door knob was loose and jiggled in place at the touch, the door didn't neatly fit into the frame of the doorway and remained ajar, and the hinges seemed to barely hold the door in place as if they had been warped over time.

Getting irritated at the current accommodations and more so at his predicament, Cell took hold of the door knob and pushed it shut with angry force. The door slammed into place for a moment before bouncing back to its original position as if on a spring. Becoming angry once again, Cell slammed the door with harder force and heard it shut appropriately. But as with the first try, it sprang back to its original position in seconds.

"ENOUGH OF THIS!" he shouted and held his right hand out with palm facing the door. A ball of ki appeared in front of his palm and grew steadily in size until it reached the size of the doorway in front him. As soon as it did, the ball exploded into a beam of energy and blasted through the door and into the room beyond. The smoke cleared in seconds and to his shock the door re-materialized in the door frame as loose as it was when he first set his eyes on it.

"Fine then! I'll use the door as it was meant to be and walk through the blasted thing!" Cell hissed loudly as he took the door knob in hand and swung it inward. Upon opening the door and stepping into the next room, his jaw dropped. The next room wasn't a room at all but rather a seemingly endless white hallway with the same doors on both sides as the one he just vented his frustrations on. Cell took a few steps into the hallway and peered through some of the doors. They all showed white rooms with a TV and antennae just the same as the one he started in. And as he passed each successive room, the TVs would turn on and repeat his embarrassment at the hands of Gohan and how his body was ripped asunder from the final beam that brought him to his new home. Similar imperfections also appeared in each room he peered into. Getting anxious Cell began to increase his speed to find a room that was different but as he went from a walk to a run to flying past each room at almost jet-like speeds, nothing changed. They all had the same white walls, the same TV, the same embarrassing defeat and the same door goading at him with their imperfections.

Finally losing himself to complete rage he shouted "HOW DARE THAT WRETCHED OGRE PUT ME IN HERE! AND THAT STUPD BRAT WILL RUE THE DAY HE CROSSED ME! I AM CELL, THE PERFECT CREATION!" Cell shouted to his new environment. He powered up his aura, put both of his hands out in front of him and began charging ki ball after ki ball to shoot at anything he laid his eyes on in the infinite hallway of imperfections and pain.

After a long time of sending out ki blast after ki blast, and appearing to destroy doors and walls, they would instantly regenerate but with continually worse conditions than they started with. But on the whole, nothing had changed except that Cell was drained of all his energy. Panting and out of breath, he collapsed on the floor beneath him and just lay there staring up at a white ceiling his mind only focused on two things: escape and revenge.

"I will get out of here one day!" He called out to nothing as if it were a fact. "YOU HEAR ME! I WILL GET OUT OF HERE!"

He hardly moved from that spot for days and continued to hear the TVs all around him play out what had been plaguing him since before he died.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Immediately starting with the next chapter so hopefully it will be out sooner than this one was!

I have been asked about pairings and whether this story will be another Gohan and Videl thing. I didn't have much desire to write it that way to begin with and the further the story goes, the less I want it that way so don't expect a pairing between those two (Sorry to any Gohan and Videl fans). It's true that there are a lot of those out there and as this story was intended to be different from all the other stories on this site, it seems logical to also be different with the romance.

That doesn't mean Videl won't be in the story but they will not be a couple here. I still have to involve her to some degree.

Also, going back to make some edits to previous chapters in time. Nobody is perfect but I noticed way too many typos and missing words in my previous chapter for my liking. Perfection is a fleeting notion.


	13. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer**

All original content is owned by Akira Toriyama and his affiliates.

 **Chapter 12:**

Waking up to early morning sunlight entering his room, Gohan quickly roused to the exciting but still nervous prospect of entering a public school. His nose quickly picked up on his mom's cooking and he knew she would be coming to wake him soon. Getting out of bed, he walked to the hallway and called to Chi-Chi to let her know he was awake.

"Mom! I'm up! How long until breakfast is ready?" He hollered for her to hear him.

"Ok! Give me about half an hour!" She called back.

"Ok, I'll go get myself cleaned up then!" Gohan replied.

Happy she was distracted, he powered up to Super Saiyan and used the spare time to get some quick morning exercises and stretches in. After several minutes of light exercise, Gohan entered the bathroom to take a shower and make himself presentable for a good first impression. As he was drying himself and putting on the clothes he laid out the day before, a blue suit, white undershirt, and light blue tie; he powered down to base form. Almost forgetting about his tail, Gohan stood in front of his mirror and looked carefully at how it would work as a belt. A frown crossed his face as anyone walking behind him might take notice at how furry his "belt" would be and Gohan reluctantly secured it under a belt so it was less noticeable.

" _If I have to hide everything about myself, why should I care about being around people?"_ Gohan thought to himself still feeling a little sour.

"Gohan!" Chi-Chi called, "Breakfast is ready!"

His face immediately lightened up as he dashed out into the hall and down to the kitchen to feed his morning appetite. " _I'll worry more about that on a full stomach!"_ He thought as he sat down to eat.

Chi-Chi took notice of his attire and said, "Good to see you're ready to go already. We'll leave after I get dressed."

In-between chewing and swallowing his breakfast Gohan asked, "How are we traveling there? I thought Satan City was several hours away by car?"

"Much as I'd rather we show up in a _normal_ fashion, we'll take Nimbus to ensure we get there with time to spare. I want to check out the school and the town around it," Chi-Chi replied also between bites.

"Ah, ok. I'm actually surprised you want to use Nimbus, Mom" Gohan replied eyeing her carefully.

"If you think I'm concerned about our appearances upon arrival, you can use your power to reduce the wind in our faces," Chi-Chi said seeming to read Gohan's mind.

"Sure thing, Mom!" Gohan said happily and returned his attention to the pile of food in front of him.

"Just be careful not to get any food on that suit. Your manners are leagues above your father's but I don't want to take any chances!" She added making Gohan stop abruptly and slow down his food intake considerably.

Nearly an hour later, Chi-Chi was dressed in a body length purple business dress sitting atop Nimbus while Gohan sat carefully in her lap.

"Nimbus, could you go a little faster so we can get there ahead of time for a good view of the town? I'd like to find a good place that we can land without drawing too much attention to us! We have a couple hours before we need to meet with the principal of the school!" Chi-Chi called out loud over the rush of the wind.

Nimbus complied and sped up to near airplane speeds while Gohan used his aura to try and shield his mom and himself from too much wind.

"What is the principal's name?" Gohan asked after sometime of enjoying the view of the earth below.

"It should be Mr. Clip," she replied, "and he seems like a well-mannered and respectable man. That and how well the school up-holds its educational standards were some of the reasons I thought it would be a good fit for you."

"I can see that, but what were other reasons?" Gohan asked curiously.

"Well, it had to do with Hercule Satan," Chi-Chi commented as Gohan turned to look at her curiously, "As much as we don't care for that man, he has made himself a celebrity and the town is becoming a popular place. So, where there is popularity there is a higher chance for you to get known to the academic world. Besides, it looks like powerful or supposedly powerful people attract money," Chi-Chi explained.

"I didn't really think about it like that, Mom. You're smart!" Gohan replied smiling.

"It takes more than brawn to make it in this world. _Especially_ if a buffoon is being put in charge!" Chi-Chi added in a snarky tone. Gohan couldn't help himself and began chuckling while Chi-Chi just gave a slight grin.

It took roughly an hour of flying before they neared the edge of Satan City. Chi-Chi called for Nimbus to slow down as they reached the edge of town so she could get a good view of the city and find a place to land without attracting too much attention.

"Mom, is that the middle school below us?" Gohan asked while pointing to a school building just below their current position. He tried to see if anything befitting a middle school stood out but all he could make out was one large but flat building with various additions attached like branches on a pine tree and a field track located next to it.

"Yes, that should be it! The middle school was supposed to be near the edge of the town," Chi-Chi commented assuredly.

Spotting a park nearby and with nobody around she said, "Nimbus, bring us down to the park just below us. Gohan and I can walk from there."

Landing in a densely covered area of trees, Gohan and his mom got off Nimbus and waved to him as he sped away into the sky. They noticed a walking path several feet away that led to the school and Chi-Chi motioned for them to follow it. Several minutes later they found themselves nearing a fairly busy road across from the school property. Looking past the hustle and bustle of students, parents, school buses, and cars in front of them; they saw a large sign that clearly displayed Orange Star Middle School and seemed to proudly show off the orange colors of the school.

"Looks like we arrived in time for school to start," Gohan noted as he watched all the parents and kids in motion around him.

"Yes, it does. Well, let's cross over to the school grounds and see if we can't make an early audience with the principal," Chi-Chi said nodding and motioning Gohan to continue their walk.

As they made their to the school building, Gohan couldn't help but notice several kids and parents staring at them. Wondering why for a few seconds, it finally dawned on him. " _Mom really needs to stop having us way over dress for events! Every kid here is wearing normal clothes!"_

Chi-Chi also took notice and at first dismissed it but then several whispers began happening around them between parents and kids alike who began commenting on how Gohan was dressed. A vein bulged in her forehead as she lost her cool and turned to berate them all.

"IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY MY SON IS DRESSED UP SO PROFESSIONALLY ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS ASK!" She roared at a crowd of parents and kids who quickly cowered away in fear, "But maybe if you thought it out a little bit and put it together, YOU MIGHT SEE THAT HE MIGHT JUST BE A NEW STUDENT!"

" _Well, that solves the annoying eyes problem!_ " Gohan thought to himself while nervously rubbing his hair and smiling in embarrassment at his mom's outburst.

Many of the people who were in front of Gohan and his mom just turned around to see all the commotion; one of them being the principal himself. Being a man of profession dressed in a blue suit with a black tie, Mr. Clip who was on the taller side of the human spectrum and who still had all his black hair walked quickly to see what was going on. He wised up to the situation immediately and called over to Chi-Chi, "Excuse me, Miss Chi-Chi was it?"

She turned to look at him and her anger disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, "Ah! Mr. Clip, I'm guessing? I recognize your voice from our phone conversations!" she replied as Mr. Clip walked down to greet her.

"I apologize about my outburst, but I take offense when people act rudely around me and my son," she explained calmly as she shook hands with Mr. Clip.

Everyone who had been involved seemingly disappeared or decided to go on with their business as if it had never happened while Mr. Clip eyed everyone curiously walking around. "I understand Miss Chi-Chi. It's alright."

"So, I understand that this young man standing next to you is your son, Gohan?" He said turning his gaze to Gohan and smiled.

"Yes, he is. Go ahead and introduce yourself Gohan," Chi-Chi said smiling.

"Good morning, Mr. Clip!" Gohan said cheerfully and bowed.

"I see he has some good manners as well! Good morning indeed young man!" Mr. Clip said laughing and shook hands with Gohan while taking notice at his grip. "And apparently a strong grip for such a young boy. I understand you are from the country and it appears that is the case! But that doesn't mean I see you as a country bumpkin. I've seen the records of your grades and would like to test it for myself. I am very impressed with his aptitude. "

Gohan and Chi-Chi just smiled at his response before he continued on. "Well, since you are here a little ahead of schedule, I see no reason why we can't go to my office to get the ball rolling. I'll give a brief overview of the school and its activities until I need to get to my initial morning duties. Maybe Gohan can show us some of his smarts on paper while you're waiting for my return. I do hope the school will be to both of your liking's. Shall we?"

Gohan and his mom both nodded while saying "Sure thing!" as they were led inside the school. As he entered the building behind his mom and Mr. Clip, Gohan stopped and took notice of a young boy with hair nearly as blue as Bulma's that looked to be his age but also having strangely cold and purple eyes staring at him in an angry glare. Taken aback, Gohan blinked and looked again a second later only to see the boy looking around as if trying to find someone he lost.

" _Odd. I'm positive he was staring at me as if I was the worst person in the world,"_ Gohan thought to himself as the boy continued on his way in a different direction and disappeared into the crowd. " _It should be nothing but this kind of bothers me. Why?"_

"Gohan? Are you coming?" Chi-Chi called from several feet down the hall.

"Yes! Sorry, I was just looking around at the building! I'm coming!" Gohan called as he shuffled the little encounter to the back of his mind and walked quickly to catch up.

* * *

As the earth had returned to a more normal state in the week since Cell's destruction, so too had the Other World.

"It's taken a little more work than usual but we've got everything under control now!" a tired but relieved King Yemma spoke to most of his subordinates who were standing at attention in front of his giant desk. Many were still needed to be guides for the normal influx of souls, especially those from Earth.

"You all have done a great job keeping up and we were fortunate enough for Shenron to return the massive increase we had not too long ago back to their rightful place on Earth!" King Yemma continued his speech to all who could hear him in his office, "Let us hope that such a troubling time does not come to pass in the near future. And seeing as we all deserve a break I will keep the normal amount of staff around for a little while and have the rest of you go back to your original positions."

"King Yemma, Sir?" One meek looking ogre called out to his superior.

"Yes, speak young man," King Yemma replied.

"What will we do should something like this happen again?" He questioned, "Shouldn't we be prepared for such a problem should that be the case, Sir?"

"We will make preparations, yes, but after everyone gets their fair share of break time," King Yemma responded sighing and not wanting to start thinking on that idea so soon.

"But shouldn't that be a top priority? I mean that has never happened to us before," the young ogre continued.

"IT WILL BE DETERMINED WHEN I DECIDE!" King Yemma yelled catching all his staff off guard with his temper so suddenly and caused the young ogre to shake in fear.

Calming himself and clearing his throat King Yemma continued in a calmer tone of voice, "I understand your concern but at this moment everyone, including myself, needs time to relax a little. After we've had some cool down, I will gather a team together so that we can work to prevent any future rushes like we just encountered. Is that clear?"

Everyone nodded in agreement slowly as they had feared another outburst.

"Good, now everyone knows what they need to do now so you are all dismissed," King Yemma finished and his subordinates all began clearing out to attend to their duties.

Barely a few minutes had passed as King Yemma returned to looking at some smaller items of importance on his desk and the young ogre who raised questions returned with urgency.

"King Yemma, Sir, sorry to disturb you again but it's super important!" the young ogre yelled as he came running back into King Yemma's office.

"Honestly can't I get just 10 of those stupid Earth minutes time of peace?!" King Yemma exclaimed.

"Alright speak boy! What's so important?" King Yemma said as he stared with an angry glare down at the ogre who was clearly ready to wet his pants.

"Well….I…uh….Your Excellence please come in!" he shouted clearly confused as to what was top priority.

Two figures entered through the doorway to King Yemma's office, one significantly shorter than the other. The taller had pink skin and long silvery white hair and was dressed with a red and blue colored outfit while the shorter person had light purple skin with a Mohawk of white hair and was dressed in a dark blue and light blue colored outfit.

The shorter of the two smiled at the young ogre and said in a calm and reassuring voice, "It's alright. I'm aware that you are new to the job. Go ahead and take a break. I can speak to King Yemma from here."

Nodding his head so fast he could have unhinged it, the young ogre quickly departed King Yemma's office for safety.

King Yemma had been staring eyes wide-open at his visitor before finally standing up and quickly moved to be in front of his desk. Without a second thought, he dropped to his knees (sending a quake through the check-in station and scaring his staff) and bowed his head in respect.

"Your Excellence, Supreme Kai, for what purpose have you come to see me?" King Yemma said with sweat pouring down his face.

"Relax, King Yemma. You need not be so formal," the Supreme Kai assured King Yemma and he relaxed a bit. "Please, sit at your desk as you normally would. I have questions and would like your best answers," King Yemma nodded and moved to sit at his desk as instructed.

"Really, Sir, you are far to forgiving of their rudeness," the taller man next him spoke.

Feeling a bit annoyed Supreme Kai replied sharply, "It is fine Kibito. I have more important things to worry about than formalities at this moment."

Kibito quickly grew a deep shade of red on his face but said nothing in return and stood at attention near the entrance while Supreme Kai levitated off the ground and floated in a standing position towards the front of King Yemma's desk.

Clearing his throat King Yemma asked, "What do you want to know, Sir?"

"Tell me everything you know about the recent events on the planet Earth," Supreme Kai said.

"Of course! I'll tell you all I know but I would also recommend you reach out to North Kai," King Yemma stated. "But why is it so important?"

"I will do that soon enough as Earth does fall under his jurisdiction. I've had certain informants keep me up to date on the status of that planet for some time and some recently strong powers caught their attention so they brought it to my attention," Supreme Kai replied.

"Is there a specific reason why you are so interested in that planet? For the most part, that planet seems primitive and far removed from other worlds in the universe," King Yemma said cautiously.

"I have a reason but I do not want to create a panic unless there is a need to do so," Supreme Kai said more curtly than he intended.

"Understood sir," King Yemma said and cleared his throat nervously, "Let me tell you a little bit about our recent resident to Hell…"

* * *

"Well young man I'm very impressed with these scores!" Mr. Clip said to a blushing Gohan, "I left you for a little less than an hour and you're already finished with the test. And you got a perfect score to boot!"

"Thank you sir!" Gohan replied cheerfully.

"Are you sure you'd rather not start in a high school setting? I know you're a few years shy of that but we might be able to swing it if you like," Mr. Clip added still thoroughly impressed with Gohan's entrance exam.

Not giving his mom a chance to even consider the option Gohan said, "I appreciate the offer Mr. Clip, but I also came here looking to meet kids my own age. Where I live, we don't see many other people."

"Ah! Of course! Well, I see no reason why you wouldn't be a perfect fit here. Your smarts would definitely help our school look good when the standardized tests come around," Mr. Clip acknowledged.

Taking note of a peculiar look in Chi-Chi's eyes he added, "And no Miss Chi-Chi that is not me saying that we have a bad name at this school. I just know that his average being the highest would send signals all over."

Smiling she replied, "Sorry if I seemed accusatory but I was a little concerned when you put it that way."

"Not a problem. So, Gohan, would you like to be a student at our school?" Mr. Clip said turning his attention back to Gohan.

"You'd let him in just like that?" Chi-Chi asked beating Gohan to a response with her eyes wide and gleaming.

"We can take a walk around to see if you like the school yourself, but I am perfectly willing to let your son enroll," Mr. Clip said smiling.

"That's wonderful! I took some time to walk around while Gohan was working on his test and I feel quite assured of what I see around here! Oh the possibilities for scholarships before he even goes to high school are looking good!" She continued getting even more excited.

" _Mom is really excited about this. It'll be hard to argue out of this one without a good reason and I'm a little worried about it getting in the way of my training. I'll fall behind quickly just sitting at a desk all day working on subjects I studied a few years ago!"_ Gohan thought to himself tensely.

"I am glad you approve Ms. Chi-Chi," Mr. Clip said somewhat unnerved by her enthusiasm, "but we will need time to prepare and this term is ending in about a month. Gohan would be able to begin taking classes during the second term."

"Oh! Yes, of course! There I go again getting carried away and all excited over my son's future!" Chi-Chi replied.

"So, Gohan do you like the idea yourself? This is your education after all," Mr. Clip said turning his attention to Gohan.

" _Awesome! I get some time before I'd become an official student!"_ Gohan thought in relief.

"I'd be honored, Sir" Gohan replied as he stood up and shook hands with the principal, "but is it alright if you gave me a tour of the school? I'd like to see what my new school will look like so I'm not completely caught off guard."

"Of course Gohan!" Mr. Clip said as he opened the door to his office and made a motion for them to follow him into the hallway.

As they were shown around, Gohan was amazed at how many different class rooms and courses there were to study. Mr. Clip talked on about the school's history itself but Gohan was a little more interested in seeing the different classrooms and kids he'd be with. Peeking into several classrooms as they walked, he noted that a lot of the classrooms had at least 20 to 30 students in them. Some of them looked out at him as he walked by with puzzled expressions on their faces and others gave the impression that he was too nerdy for their liking.

" _I wonder if I can make friends while I'm here. Some of these kids look bored or just annoyed at having a new student around,"_ Gohan thought to himself as his eyes seemingly locked eyes with some of the students he saw. " _That one blond haired kid seemed kind of put off by me for some reason."_

As they passed by the gym, Gohan took note of his mom's souring face and looked into see what bothered her so much. He frowned at the sight and completely understood: on the wall furthest away from the entrance to the gym was a mural of Hercule standing proudly and boisterously laughing (" _a buffoon indeed_ " Gohan thought dryly) while touting a victory sign with his right hand. One of his feet was neatly planted on Cell's back while his face was firmly, albeit, humorously embedded in the floor of the tournament arena for the Cell Games.

" _Well, I'm surprised I went this long without seeing something to remind me of him,"_ Gohan and Chi-Chi both thought at the same time.

Mr. Clip abruptly stopped and if it hadn't been for his extensive training, Gohan might have bumped right into him. "Ah, sorry there Gohan," Mr. Clip said apologetically as he waved to one of the school guidance counselors walking by with another student further down the hallway, "I was just reminded of another new student you will probably be seeing around. Hopefully it will make you feel a little more comfortable here."

"Oh, good!" Chi-Chi said as she caught a glimpse of the kid turning a corner up ahead, "that should make him more comfortable for sure."

Gohan also caught a glimpse and realized that it was the same kid he saw earlier in the day that gave him a strange feeling. " _It's him again! That might explain why he was out of sorts earlier, but at the same time I'm still feeling weird about him."_

 _"_ Mr. Clip do you know his name or anything else about him?" Gohan asked curiously, "I saw him as we were walking into the school and he seemed a little lost."

"Well, I actually just chatted with him and his guardian, I believe, while you were taking the exams. He didn't have a lot to say and seemed really quiet," Mr. Clip said thoughtfully. "Oh, what was his name again? It was an unusual name too…ah! I believe it was Lecs Devison!" Mr. Clip said enthusiastically.

" _That is different but I guess Vegeta has a strange name too. Makes me think of vegetables sometimes…ah well maybe I can meet up with him if I'm going to be coming here,"_ Gohan mused to himself as they began walking near the cafeteria.

"Say, I know it's a little early but are you hungry Gohan?" The cafeteria should have food in preparation now and it would be best if we fed you before the lunch crowds came in," Mr. Clip said.

Gohan's stomach seemed to growl rather loudly and he stole a quick glance at his mom. Chi-Chi returned a quick nod but her eyes gleamed with a "tread carefully" kind of look. Rubbing the back of his head and smiling out of embarrassment Gohan replied with, "I am actually a little hungry and that would be great! Um, I have to warn you that I can eat a little more than most kids my age though, sir."

Chuckling a little, the principal said, "That's alright, young man! I'm sure a second or third extra helping wouldn't hurt that much."

" _I was thinking of 10 or 20 to be safe actually!_ " Gohan thought inwardly and resigned himself to near starvation.

"That should be fine Mr. Clip, thanks!" Chi-Chi chimed in noticing her son's sorrow. "I'll take him out for some _dessert_ after we are done today. I'd like to see some of the town while we are here!"

Gohan instantly brightened up at her statement and smiled with a grin reminiscent of his dad. " _Thanks mom!"_ he thought and she winked back at him as she seemingly picked up on his thoughts.

* * *

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you too much more than what atrocities he committed as I know little of his origin outside of being created on Earth," King Yemma said apologetically to Supreme Kai.

"It's alright. You mentioned that North Kai would fill me in better so I will go see him soon but first I want to meet Cell in person so I can really gauge his power for myself," Supreme Kai replied.

"Is that wise Sir?" King Yemma asked worriedly. "I can safely say that his power dwarfs that of Frieza's by a very wide margin."

"I can handle it and Kibito will be with me for backup," Supreme Kai said assuredly.

Kibito just nodded with a quick grunt and said, "King Yemma, please show us where he has been placed and we will teleport ourselves there."

"Of course," King Yemma said as he pushed a giant red button on his desk. It buzzed and some of the tiles in front of his desk flipped open in a downward motion revealing the entrance to Hell.

"You should be able to feel his power emanating from down below now. It is stronger than the rest by far," King Yemma said.

Supreme Kai felt for the energy for a few moments before replying, "Yes, I can feel it for sure. It is indeed an incredible power but I am certain I can handle it just fine."

"Thank you King Yemma. Kibito, let's go," Supreme Kai said and they quickly vanished from thin air. King Yemma and Kibito both failed to notice a small bead of sweat on Supreme Kai's forehead as he spoke but the floor he stood on felt its contact.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Yes, I am _long_ overdue for a new chapter! Between some life related issues (well mostly of the work variety) and needing to go on vacation and unhinge from the world, I haven't been able to put together something coherent until this past week. That doesn't mean I wasn't thinking and jotting down notes though. Ah, if only my dragon balls were the real thing... Anyway, the "saga" continues! Thanks for your patience.


	14. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer**

All original content is owned by Akira Toriyama and his affiliates.

 **Chapter 13:**

Cell had been sitting cross legged in one of his infinite and imperfect rooms while in a deep meditative state. Feeling the presence of two powerful beings enter his space his pulled out of his self-fulfilling training. Quickly rousing to his visitors, his eyes opened just in time to see them materialize several feet in front of him and outside a further broken and severely charred doorway. He casually stood up and at his full height took a few seconds to study them. A small but sinister smile fell across his face.

"If you are my executioners, your power seems rather small to me," he said politely but with intended insult.

"You are the being known as Cell, yes?" Supreme Kai spoke trying to remain calm and collected. Luckily his voice did not show the nervousness he was feeling inside of him.

"I am," Cell replied as he crossed his arms at chest level and eyed the two visitors with pure curiosity. "To whom do I have the honor of speaking with?"

"I am the Supreme Kai who oversees the affairs of the universe. You may call me by that or you can keep it short and call me Shin," Supreme Kai stated.

"Supreme Kai? I was vaguely aware of the one called King Kai, who I killed not too long ago, but I didn't know he was just a pawn," Cell said matter-of-factly but with pure confusion showing in his face.

"YOU KILLED A KAI?! Do you have any idea how reprehensible such an act is?!" Kibito shouted without warning and began sliding into a fighting stance.

"KIBITO!" Shin called to his attendant sharply and caught both Kibito and Cell by surprise.

"Restrain yourself and show some manners of your own!" Shin continued with a lower but still fierce voice.

"Sir, this cannot go ignored!" Kibito contested.

"This being is in a Hell that fits his punishment. He will atone for his crimes for millennia to come. It is enough," Shin stated with a commanding tone to put the matter to rest. Kibito reluctantly withdrew from his fighting stance but remained on guard regardless.

Cell smirked with amusement and said, "Well, it seems I've made quite an impression so why are you here to see me?"

Shin gave a quick cough before replying, "Being the Supreme Kai, I am essentially tasked with the creation of all things in the universe so I want to know more about your origin."

"And why should I tell you anything about myself that King Yemma most likely already told you?" Cell replied coyly.

"Simple. From what he told me and what I can already gauge of you, you like an audience, which helps put you in a position of superiority, and you definitely fit the type of being who is proud of their own personal accomplishments. I'm guessing the name "Frieza" would come to mind in that regard," Shin explained.

"Hmph, you must be gifted with a unique power to figure all that out so quickly," Cell replied with a laugh even though he felt a little unnerved by the quick and well-founded judgement.

Shin smiled in return and added, "Maybe, but I've seen lesser beings that have similar personalities to your own. Also, I'm quite sure you have an open schedule ahead with no pressing issues so you are free to tell everything you see fit."

Cell narrowed his eyes at Shin out of disdain for a brief moment but quickly smiled with a devilish grin and said, "Very well. You are right in stating that I like a captive audience so I shall regale you and your attendant with tales of my origin."

Shin gave a nod of approval while Kibito just stared at Cell with an expressionless face.

Cell took that as his cue and still smiling he said, "To begin, what do you know about time travel?"

* * *

With a small but still somewhat satisfying meal in his stomach, Gohan was happy to hear his mother say that they should get on with the day and go for a walk around the area. They had made their way to the front of the building and heard the distant echo of a bell signaling the end of class and the start of lunch.

"Thank you for giving Gohan an opportunity to further his education at Orange Star Middle School," Chi-Chi said with high spirits as she shook hands with Mr. Clip.

"No, thank you for bringing him to our attention! I never knew of a young man with such a high capacity for learning!" Mr. Clip replied with a huge smile.

Mr. Clip turned to Gohan and said, "What do you think, Gohan? Is this school to your liking?"

A little embarrassed but grateful for the compliment Gohan replied, "Yes, sir. I look forward to being one of your students!"

"That's the spirit!" Mr. Clip replied with a chuckle. "I'll be in touch with you and your mom over the coming weeks as we get student schedules organized. Enjoy your time in the city and we'll see you again soon."

"Thank you Mr. Clip," Chi-Chi said as Gohan shook hands with him. "Let's go for a little walk before heading downtown Gohan."

Gohan nodded and he and his mom turned to walk outside the school while Mr. Clip stood and waved them off. " _I forgot to ask what kind of vehicle they used to get here from so far away. Oh well, I'll be sure to bring it up when next we meet."_

As they walked in the direction that took them downtown, Gohan became increasingly uncomfortable wearing his suit and the belt over his tail. _"I really need to get out of this suit. It's too hot outside and the belt is really giving me a weird sort of tail wedgie."_

"Mom, I'm starting to feel hot and sweaty walking around in these clothes. Can we change out when we find a place to eat?" Gohan asked.

"I'm aware that it's uncomfortable but it makes a good impression to the people around us," Chi-Chi replied sternly.

"I know Mom but I think my sweat is leaking through the clothes. I don't want to ruin them. Plus, I brought a change of clothes that's more comfy for the heat. I even pulled out one of your outfits in case you felt the same," he pressed on trying to not sound like he wasn't just whining.

The ploy of sweat wearing out his suit worked because Chi-Chi took one look at his clothes and hers and realized Gohan was right. "Alright, I see your point. We'll use the restroom at the first restaurant we see for the rest of your lunch. I hope you didn't bring your gi as a second outfit though."

Feeling relieved inside he replied, "Thanks Mom! And no I brought normal clothes to wear."

The sound of a large engine emanated from behind them and Chi-Chi turned to notice that the city bus was coming down the street by them. Thinking on her feet, she signaled for the bus to pick them up since they were really close to a nearby bus stop.

"Why don't we cool off and hitch a ride downtown?" She said to Gohan smiling.

"I guess that would be better than walking downtown," Gohan replied.

Luck was on their side as the bus was heading downtown after all. Not ten minutes later they found themselves near the center of Satan City and conveniently next to a cozy and quiet looking restaurant that Chi-Chi took immediate approval of. As they got off the bus they looked around and took in the site of some of the fairly tall buildings around them. There were many buildings ranging from different hues of pink to blue in the near vicinity with mostly glass floors. They had box and cylindrical shapes but one large white building stood out among the rest as it had stone columns underneath a large but perfectly designed triangle shaped overhang. Taking a closer look, Chi-Chi noticed that it said Satan Bank in large engraved letters.

" _I hope he doesn't own that bank! If I see his face on any zeni bills I'll burn them!"_ She thought in silent frustration.

Mostly the sounds of traffic, as well as people walking to and fro amazed both Gohan and his mother. They usually kept away from such a busy place so to see it in the raw was surreal. Taking her gaze off the world around, she quickly ushered her son inside and got a table nearest to the bathrooms and away from the outside city. As unique as the city was, she was easily reminded of how much she preferred the comfort of her own home. Crowded was an understatement! She had Gohan go change his clothes first and wash up. Not one to miss an opportunity, Gohan entered the bathroom and quickly changed into a summer outfit wearing a blue shirt and black shorts.

 _"_ _I'm going to have to wrap my tail like a belt again. Hopefully it doesn't attract attention but at the same time this feels more natural,"_ He thought to himself while relieved to be out of the tight suit.

He left the restroom and gave the capsule to his mom. She got up and went to change her clothes as well. " _Hah! I knew Mom was feeling the heat too!"_ He thought smiling while taking a look at the menu in front of him.

Chi-Chi returned a few minutes later in her traditional purple dress. She was feeling a little better herself. "Go ahead and order what you want. You can thank your grandpa for this gift but try not to put the store out of business. I've heard stories of your father spending thousands of zeni in one sitting," She said smiling while looking for her own meal.

Gohan settled on a buffet style meal in the hopes that he could get away with eating a larger portion and not bring himself unwanted attention. His mom agreed to have the same and they spent the next hour enjoying the food and discussing his future at the middle school.

"Once we get the course schedule, we'll shift the last bit of your current studies to prepare you for the next term. All this hard work has really paid off!" Chi-Chi stated happily.

"Mm-hmm" Gohan said nodding as he indulged in the assortment of meats, noodles, and rice in front of him.

"And once you get accustomed to the new lifestyle maybe you'll start making some friends and even get involved with extracurricular activities! Those will look good for college too!" Chi-Chi added in a seemingly obsessed and excited tone of voice.

" _Great! It's like Mom is already planning my life for me and won't even let me have my own opinions on it,"_ Gohan thought to himself sourly as he was finishing the current plate of food in front of him.

"And I'm fine with you going to school your own way since we live so far away, but I want you to do your best to keep our unusual methods of transportation a secret," Chi-Chi said after finishing her third and final plate.

"I know Mom. I'll be careful," Gohan said after having his seventh and started to get up for more.

"Gohan, I think you can have dessert now," Chi-Chi said with a sudden and stern tone.

Gohan looked at her like she was the craziest person on earth. "Um, ok, I guess it's time for dessert," he said feeling down about not getting anymore. " _This is still barely enough to eat._ "

She flicked her eyes from side to side and following their gaze without moving his head, Gohan realized why she said that. Several people, including the staff had been looking at Gohan with uneasy and horrified expressions on their faces. Sighing inwardly, he got up to grab some small items from the dessert bar and kept himself from completely filling the plate. The whole time he was up and moving, he could feel eyes from everybody following him. If his mom hadn't pointed it out, he wouldn't have felt the embarrassment of his eating habits.

" _It's not like I was eating it like a caveman! Mom would have scolded me if I did! Why can't they mind their own business?!"_ Gohan thought to himself irritably as he ate the pudding and cakes in front of him, his face beet red.

For better or worse his embarrassment was cut short as the sounds of police sirens caught the attention of everyone in the restaurant.

"What on earth is all that ruckus about?!" one customer said over the noise as he got up from his seat and strode over to the front window of the restaurant. He was followed by several other curious customers as they began crowding around the window.

"THIS IS THE POLICE! WE KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE SO WHY DON'T YOU ALL COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP!" A voice shouted through a megaphone that everyone within a few blocks heard.

"Oh, wow! The bank across the street is being robbed!" An excited young lady piped up from the window. She and several other customers bared witness to three police cars blocking the exit from the bank across the street and several buildings over from the restaurant. There were at least half a dozen policemen taking cover behind their cars with guns aimed at the bank entrance.

Gohan sat fidgeting in his seat and wanted to do nothing more than help out but recent events began plaguing his mind. _"I can't just jump in without knowing everything and I'm not sure how these people will react to seeing me. Maybe they can handle it…but should I at least check it out? Ah, I'm sure they wouldn't be policemen if they couldn't handle a simple robbery…right?"_

A few seconds passed before the sounds of gunfire erupted from inside the bank and the policemen had to take cover behind their vehicles. A rapid sound of bullets hitting metal was heard by all in the vicinity of the robbery and the customers watching at the front of the restaurant fell all over each other to get away in case bullets came rushing into the window.

Doing his best to not get his mother worked up as he could see she was trying to ignore it herself and leave the matter to the police, Gohan closed his eyes and began feeling the situation out with his senses, " _Ok, that didn't sound good, but I don't feel anybody losing their ki or life force so nothing to worry-"_

His thoughts were silenced as a loud bang rang out and the people in the restaurant felt the force vibrate through the walls. Panic ensued and people quickly lost interest in the food in front of them or the little boy who seemingly had more than four stomachs. Their attention was on surviving and they began rushing out the front door in a hurry. Several forgot to pay for their food in the chaos.

Gohan stood up and said, "Mom, I'm going to go see what's going on."

"Oh no you're not!" Chi-Chi said standing up just as fast. "We're going to go the opposite direction of whatever is happening! I forbid you from getting involved young man!"

Gohan just stared at her in shock for a moment before saying, "But Mom! What if someone is hurt really badly? I can help!"

"You will do no such thing and leave it to the professionals! And I'll hear no more of it! Now, let's go!" Chi-Chi said defiantly while she reached into her purse and pulled out a large amount of zeni to put on the table for their meal and some of the other unfinished meals.

Feeling exasperated, Gohan silently followed her towards the front of the restaurant briefly before another loud bang sent more vibrations through the downtown area. Feelings of frustration and anger began building in him as they rushed to the front door and just as they reached the door he grabbed at her right hand with his and held her back.

"Gohan what are you doing?" She said turning around to see an angry glare on his face that somewhat unnerved her.

"Mom, if we go out that door we'll be pushed and shoved around and I wouldn't want my future sibling to get hurt. Let's get out of here _my way!_ " he said firmly.

She looked back outside and understood what he meant as she could see the chaos of people fleeing the scene in various directions. Lots of people were falling and tripping over one another.

"Ok, what do you mean by that?" Chi-Chi asked.

Without a word, Gohan picked his mom up as if she were a baby and ran towards the back of the restaurant. The store owner watched in horror and with his mouth agape at the speed of Gohan rushing past him and carrying his own mother with no effort. Ignoring him and speeding quickly out into the back alley; Gohan immediately jumped into the air and flew up onto the roof. As they landed he let his mom get to her feet while he walked to the edge to see what was going on below.

"Gohan, I thought we were leaving?" Chi-Chi said while trying to register how quickly they got where they were.

"I'm sorry Mom. You can yell at me later all you want but I can't just sit here and let this happen! If people died and I could have prevented it then I never really deserved being called a hero!" He said to her with a look of pure determination on his face.

"Gohan! Don't you dare go down there!" Chi-Chi exclaimed.

Stepping away from her a few feet, Gohan willed his power out and transformed into his Super Saiyan form. Chi-Chi fell backwards while shielding her eyes as the sudden flash of light and surge of ki surprised her. Adjusting to the light, she locked her eyes with Gohan's for a few moments before Gohan gave a quick smirk and said, "Don't worry, Mom. Nothing they can do will hurt me. I'll be right back."

He quickly vanished and Chi-Chi was left standing there to do nothing but wait for Gohan to return. With her temper reaching its boiling point she began jumping and shaking her fists in anger while shouting "Rrrr…Gokuuuu! If you were alive right now, I swear I'd kill you myself!"

Grumbling to herself, Chi-Chi walked over to the edge and looked to see where Gohan actually disappeared to. She scanned the street below and the bank where the policemen were still taking and giving fire to the unseen robbers inside. Her eyes fell across the front of the bank and she took notice of a figure standing on the roof and realized who it was. She saw something peculiar and squinted her eyes to see what it was but the figure disappeared behind the building just as she figured it out.

"Why is Gohan's tail golden and not wrapped around his waist?" She said aloud to nobody in pure confusion.

* * *

"I see that I just keep making more impressions on the gods of the universe," Cell said actually feeling in good spirits as he finished telling what had been asked of him.

Shin continued to keep a calm demeanor on the outside but inside he was really nervous, " _This is both amazing and troubling! How did this go unnoticed by us? A being from the future made up of some of the universe's strongest and he is on par or maybe stronger than me? I must meet the person who defeated him!"_

Kibito was not able to compose himself as well as his master and was visually sweating out of nervousness.

"Alright, I understand how you came to be and I am surprised at how much that planet has progressed. I haven't been checking up on it as much as I should be, let alone that area of the universe," Shin said thoughtfully. "You didn't go into much detail on how you got here. Who was the person to defeat you? I assume it was a rather intense battle based on your strength."

Cell's jovial mood was slightly deflated as he was reminded of the boy who sent him to his eternal prison. He scowled in content at the notion of it even being brought up.

"That battle was indeed a fierce battle. Even though I was defeated there, it will only ensure my perfect win over him the next time we meet!" He began raising his voice while getting more heated as the memory began playing over and over in his mind. "I'll show that boy who the superior warrior really is in the universe!"

Suddenly Cell's prison was filled with sounds of TVs coming to life and replaying his last minutes on Earth. Shin took a glance at the broken TV next to Cell and glimpsed at how the event played out through the cracked screen.

"A child has that kind of power?" Shin asked in pure shock. All previous hints of calm fell from him like a cascading waterfall. Kibito was too stunned to say anything as he watched with wide eyes at the huge explosion of blue and white energy engulfing Cell in his final moments alive. The view of a young boy with spiked blonde hair, the enormous golden aura and electric field of energy flaring around his body, and his pure determination and hatred of Cell visually showing all over his face actually sent shivers down both Kibito's and Shin's spines.

"It's quite a sight isn't it?" Cell asked with amusement. "Though he is my enemy, I admit that his battle prowess is commendable."

"This child is a descendant of the Saiyan race that was wiped out by Frieza?" Shin asked in a whispered voice.

"Indeed, though the race was weak at the time, their capability to grow stronger seems to show no limits, especially with the survivors and recently deceased. And I am the perfect example of their lineage," Cell commented with pride.

"And the Saiyan you call Goku is this child's father?" Shin asked recovering from his shock.

"Yes, I defeated him along with the Kai I spoke of earlier," Cell replied.

"Well, it seems my search for answers leads to more questions, but I also need to speak with others to sort this out. Cell, I believe we have concluded our business at this point," Shin said.

"Do you not take my words as truth? I have no reason to lie to you," Cell commented while smirking.

"Not at all. But hearing it from a different perspective tends to give me the whole picture," Shin replied.

"Very well but I have one last item of business I wish to discuss with you," Cell said as his arms unfolded and fell to his sides.

"And what might that be?" Shin said sensing a change in the atmosphere around them.

"I have my doubts on your own power and title. If you are the so-called Supreme Kai of the universe then I must test my merit against you," Cell said matter-of-factly. "And honestly I don't see this being much of a fight!"

Cell powered up his aura and let the hallways of his eternal Hell feel the surge in power. The rush of power took both Shin and Kibito by surprise and they barely had time to cross their arms in front of their bodies and shield themselves before they were blown backwards several yards and knocked off their feet.

"Well, what do you think _Kai_?" Cell shouted with laughter. "Is my power too much for you to handle?"

Shin stood up while still shielding his eyes from the surge of Cell's aura and the golden flashing light.

" _This isn't good! I don't know if I can handle him in a physical fight, but I can't show any further signs that he is out of my league!"_ Shin thought to himself as he regained his footing and leaned into the incoming aura. Crossing his arms, Shin glared at the now gloating Cell.

"Prepare yourself, Kai!" Cell yelled and rushed at Shin with his right arm poised into a punching position.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Chapter 14 added at the same time.


	15. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer**

All original content is owned by Akira Toriyama and his affiliates.

 **Chapter 14:**

Kibito took the chance to catch Cell off-guard and body slammed into him, right elbow first. Cell was so surprised by Kibito's strength and quick movement that he was sent spinning into the nearest room and crashed into the furthest wall from the doorway.

Kibito stood next to Shin panting slightly and sweating heavily. "Sir, we must leave now! I merely stunned him for a few moments and it took a great deal of effort to even push him off balance!" Kibito exclaimed.

Shin turned to face the doorway that Cell lay beyond and stated in a commanding tone, "I need to first show him that I am in charge or our actions here will diminish the role of the Kais!"

Not a second later, the shadowy silhouette of Cell appeared in the doorway. Red eyes like that of a demon glared at them for a moment before golden light and blue electricity exploded in all directions from within the doorway.

"If that is the best that you have to offer, then I see no reason in allowing either of you to exist! How pathetic and weak the rulers of the universe really are!" Cell shouted and laughed maniacally.

"You will hold your tongue and show some respect to your Supreme Kai, Cell!" Shin hollered at him.

Shin took a stance, stretched out his palms at Cell and shouted "HAAAHHH!" as a strong surge of wind and blue light engulfed the Supreme Kai's body. In a quick flash of light, Cell was overcome by blue light himself and became stiff and unable to move.

"Wh-What is this?" Cell stammered in bewilderment as he tried to move any muscles but failed to do so.

Shin held his position panting heavily as the power to restrain Cell took a huge effort on his part. "That…is….my paralyzing…technique," Shi explained between heavy breaths.

"I can barely move now, but I will break this technique and crush you soon enough!" Cell yelled with full on rage. "This will not hold me for long!"

Regaining his composure but still slightly winded, Shin stood at full height and said in a commanding tone, "It will hold you as long as I will it, Cell. Plus, you being dead makes it easier to hold your soul in check."

Cell stopped struggling for a moment and sneering he gave a snort of derision, "Do you really believe your own words Kai? I saw how much effort it took to restrain me. It won't be too long before my power overwhelms yours!"

"Believe what you want Cell. We're done here," Shin concluded and turned to check on Kibito.

"Are you alright Kibito?" Shin asked with concern.

"Yes, sir. I am fine. Let us depart now before we get in over our heads," Kibito replied in a low voice.

Nodding Shin grabbed Kibito's right arm and turned one final time to look at Cell. "I hope several millennia in this prison will do you some good, Cell. We will not meet again."

Shin and Kibito then teleported out of Cell's prison while Cell just glared at the spot where they stood fuming. " _Oh no Kai! We will meet again and then I'll be sure to show you what true perfection is!"_

Cell struggled for a few more minutes trying to break the energy trapping him in place. With a final strong yell of fury his energy overwhelmed the barrier and it shattered like glass while his energy once again engulfed his prison in golden light.

Cell felt a little winded after the struggle but on the whole it was more of an annoyance than a challenge.

"This is the extent of his power?! HA-HA-HA! He has no right to be the supreme ruler! That right will belong to me one day soon enough!" Cell stated out loud to his prison.

* * *

As he landed on the roof of the bank, Gohan took notice of several skylight windows. Taking a few moments to view into the main lobby of the bank, he noticed that six armed robbers were busy taking shots at the policemen outside. Two others stood watching a crowd of at least a dozen hostages who were forced to lay on the ground face down and with their hands over their heads.

" _I don't understand why everyone can't just get along. Especially since Cell is gone, I'd think this would be the last thing they'd do."_ Gohan thought to himself as he searched for a good way in without bringing any harm to the hostages. The guys firing out to the cops looked way too happy causing havoc and he wondered if the two guarding the hostages might do the same if he just barged in.

He took notice of a side entrance in a neighboring alleyway and moving quickly Gohan disappeared over the side of the building and landed softly near where the side entrance was located. As he slowly made his way up to the door he took notice that it was elevated a few steps above the ground. People could go in and out the door via stairs or the ramp directly in front of him and running parallel to the building. Gohan could also get a better view of what kind of door it was. It was made of two glass panes situated between a thick metal door frame. Lucky for him, he was able to see the figure of a man with a semiautomatic gun standing next to the door.

" _So, that must be one of the guys watching over the hostages. Well, these guys aren't completely dumb,"_ Gohan thought to himself with a smirk as he quietly moved up to the door along the ramp.

Trying to catch the man off-guard, Gohan made a quick knocking noise on the glass. It caught the crook's attention and he looked out the glass of the door for the source of the noise only to see nothing. Confused but losing interest he turned around and faced the crowd of hostages in the main lobby once more.

Gohan waited a few seconds before repeating the same action and then ducking out of sight in the hopes of ambushing the guy without raising too much alarm. Again, the crook looked out the glass door but found nothing. This time he got his buddy to join him and they both moved to peer outside the door. Feeling further perplexed and unnerved, they both stood nearby the doorway so they could see both the hostages and the outside world.

Gohan was getting a little irritated at the duo's unwillingness to come outside and decided to be more aggressive. He used his speed to rush at the door, tap on it several times, and retreat every few seconds for about a minute before the two crooks finally got fed up and exited to the outside with their semiautomatic guns cocked and ready to see what was so persistent in annoying them.

"Sorry guys but what you're doing is wrong!" Gohan called to them from behind. The crooks had come out the door and looked towards the front of the bank and not completely paid attention to the alleyway behind.

As Gohan called out to them, the second guy turned around just in time to see a fist connect with his face and knock him into his buddy right behind him. They toppled off the stoop while their guns flew out of their hands and bounced down the alley towards the main street. Both were rendered unconscious from the force of the punch and the landing on the hard alley floor. Keeping quick on his feet, Gohan picked up the unconscious men and rushed them to near the front of the alley. Taking aim to the sky with his left hand, he charged up a beam of energy roughly the size of his hand and released a pillar of light into the sky above his head.

Hearing shouts of "What was that?" and "Go look over there!" he was satisfied and hurried back to the side entrance and into the bank.

As Gohan entered the bank he expected all the remaining crooks to be firing out the front entrance or at least having their guns trained outside the front entrance for anyone trying to force their way in. What he got was better than he expected.

While Gohan was trying to get rid of the crooks at the side entrance, the young raven-haired girl Gohan ran into nearly a week ago had already snuck in through one of the windows and was lying in the shadows waiting for the right moment to spring her attack on the crooks. She wore what was becoming a trademark for her: a large baggy white t-shirt and black shorts. When she noticed the guys who seemed to be of the most concern disappear out the side door, she sprung out from her hiding place behind the main counter and rushed at the crooks shooting at the police outside.

" _Not sure what got their attention to get them out of here but I'll take what I can get!"_ Videl thought to herself as she jumped and did a well-timed jump kick into the guy closest to her.

Creating a domino effect, the force shocked his system as he was knocked rather hard into his partner mere inches next to him. And so the dominos seemed to fall as five of the six men shooting fell over each other until finally the sixth shooter was knocked off his feet with several of his cohorts collapsed on top of him. Many of the guns flew in various directions and out of reach of their owners.

The young girl moved quickly and kicked all the nearest guns further out of reach and turning to stare them down, got into a fighting stance as if to dare them to come at her.

"You guys give up or want some more?!" She shouted to them as the crooks slowly pulled themselves together and stood to face her.

"You got a lot of nerve challenging us like that little girl," the leader of the group spat at her. "What's your name so I can put it on the tombstone we'll be making for you later today?"

Smirking at them for a moment she replied loudly with, "It's Videl Satan you jerk!"

Without any warning she rushed the guy who spoke to her. He was seeing stars in a matter of seconds as her right fist smashed into his jaw. Not wasting time she followed up with a reverse punch from her left hand to his stomach and he collapsed with his arms clutching his stomach in pain. For good measure, she gave a quick front quick with her left foot to his face and knocked the guy unconscious. His head fell backwards and slammed against the floor.

"Does anyone else want to try?" She said coolly to the other crooks still able to fight. Even though it was still five versus one, she was confident in her abilities and could feel them shaking like cowards since their guns were out of their reach. They seemed to be sweating out of nervousness for a few seconds before small grins began spreading over their faces.

"What are you smiling at?! Videl demanded.

A creepy voice from behind her said, "Their insurance."

She feared the worst but before she even turned to see who caught her off-guard, the side entrance door slammed outward with a strong force and nearly cracked the glass panes. A yellow blur of light whipped past Videl and slammed into the guy behind her. The crook flew over the counter where she had been hiding moments before and made a loud thud with the wall.

Videl turned around to see who had saved her and wasn't completely surprised to who it was. "YOU!" she exclaimed in both relief and frustration.

"After our first meeting, I had hopes that you would be a little more aware of your surroundings Videl," Gohan said with a smirk on his face.

"Do you always have to barge in and keep taking out MY crooks?!" She yelled at him as she put her hands on her hips and ready to chew him out.

"I didn't take all of them out. You can handle the five right behind you who look like they're ready to pee their pants if you really want to," Gohan said innocently enough as he pointed his right index finger over her shoulder and at them.

A devilish grin came across Videl's face as she said, "That seems fair enough. I'll take my anger at you out on them as a trade for saving my life. Deal?"

Getting a little nervous and rubbing the back of his head while grinning Gohan replied, "Uh, sure. Go ahead."

Videl turned back to the remaining crooks and began cracking her knuckles to emphasize her frustration. "So, who's first?" She asked while taking a step toward the men who began trembling in fear at their predicament.

She charged at them without warning and shouted, "If I knock you down, you better learn to stay down!"

They all screamed as she cocked her right hand back and let a punch fly at the first guy in her path. His stomach took a beating while Videl had already moved to the guy on his left and grabbed at his right arm. Twisting her body around with him following the motion, she tossed him into the crook clutching at his stomach and they both crumpled on the floor a few feet from where Gohan stood. Still conscious they looked around in confusion and saw Gohan towering over them with a glare on his face daring them to make a move. They passed out mere seconds later out of fear.

Meanwhile Videl had elbowed one of the crooks right behind her just under his right armpit. Turning on the spot she roundhouse kneed him on the left side of his head and knocked him out cold as he collapsed on the floor next to her. Still not satisfied, she lunged at the two remaining crooks and took her vented frustrations out on them as if they were punching bags. Too scared to fight back they just took punch after punch until their faces and torsos were bruised and beaten.

Sighing out of content and with a big smirk on her face as the crooks collapsed to the ground, she turned around to look at Gohan and said, "OK, now we're even."

He smiled back and said, "You can have all the credit. I just wanted to make sure you didn't get hurt or killed."

"Well that's rather kind of you to say that," Videl said sarcastically but still genuinely smiling.

Calling to all the former hostages who were still lying on the floor and keeping their eyes closed Videl said, "Everyone! You can get up now. The crooks are down and out!"

Slowly the people began opening their eyes and getting to their feet. Gohan noticed that none of them were physically harmed and felt more at ease.

"Videl, in case you were wondering, the reason that last guy got the jump on you was because he had been inside the vault. I'm guessing he was the one causing all the shaking while trying to blow it open," Gohan said while watching as the people began making their way outside and calling for the police to come in.

"Thanks for the information, but I'm sure I would've figured it out eventually," Videl said getting huffy.

"So, what's the deal with the gold show? And how come you're always running from the limelight?" She questioned Gohan in an increasingly demanding tone of voice.

" _Here we go again! I was really hoping she'd be content after beating them up but she really is like a broken record!"_ Gohan thought to himself sourly.

"The gold show is my ki," Gohan said getting a little annoyed with the change of tone, "and unlike a certain person who says otherwise, they are not a bunch of tricks."

"I'm having a hard time believing that, Delivery Boy or whatever you'd prefer to be called, since you always seem to skip out when questions are being asked about your background. You didn't exactly make a good public impression in West City you know," Videl said defiantly.

"Ok, I think I'd better go now. This is getting really annoying," Gohan said gritting his teeth and trying to hold back a growing temper.

Before Videl could retort, one of the policemen had come in to inspect the scene. He had every intention of talking to Videl and the golden kid when his eyes caught something on the neck of one of the crooks. "These guys keep popping up all over the place," he said in disbelief. "I hope this group you kids helped round up put a dent in their operations."

"You have no problem with us taking on fully armed men?" Gohan asked curiously as he wasn't expecting such a calm reception.

"Honestly, son. I've seen you on the news the past couple weeks and regardless of what some people say, I'm not about to turn my head from a helping hand when it comes around. Weird as this is for me, I'm just glad these guys heading to prison." The police officer said with a small smile. "And Miss Videl has truly shown her colors at the academy the past week. She is a naturally gifted fighter!"

Gohan felt a little relieved hearing that and Videl blushed a little at the comment about her growth.

"Sir, what do you mean by 'these guys' here?" Videl asked to the policeman turning the conversation back to the task at hand as she and a curious Gohan walked over to see what he was looking at.

The three of them stood over one of the crooks as the policeman spoke, "They have the tattoos of the Red Shark Gang."

Gohan was quickly reminded of his last encounter with the Red Shark Gang and felt the need to go look in the vault. He turned around and darted back to the vault to see if there were any undetonated bombs. Videl noticed his sudden departure and followed Gohan into the vault puzzled.

As she entered behind him she asked, "What are you looking for?"

Gohan pointed at a duffle bag near a big door that had been blown apart and said, "Any extra bombs that weren't used like those over there."

He carefully grabbed at the bag and picked it up while saying, "I should get rid of these before they cause any more trouble here."

"Hey, you're tampering with the crime scene by touching that!" Videl said rushing to his side.

Gohan turned to look at her and said, "You said you had trouble believing my powers weren't just tricks. If you give me a few minutes I'll show you that they are real!"

"And how do I know you won't just take them and run away?" She retorted angrily. "How do I know you weren't part of this whole scheme?"

Looking at her like she had just slapped him across the face, Gohan gritted his teeth and hissed, "If I was part of their gang why didn't I just beat you up instead of saving your life?!"

"Because you are full of nothing but FAKE magic tricks!" She yelled loudly.

Gohan yelled in anger and flared his ki up around him. The force of his energy enveloping his body and knocked Videl against the nearby wall taking the wind out of her. It also created a few small cracks in the floor at his feet.

Gohan slung the bag over his shoulder and walked over to Videl who just stared back at him with mixed feelings of fear and shame.

"I don't like hurting people but I also don't like being called a liar or fraud!" Gohan spat at her but still trying to hold his temper in check. "If you're calling me a fraud, then you are calling my family, friends, and mentor frauds too and they don't deserve that!"

Videl just stared back at him in shock unable to speak or make a sound.

"I'm leaving now and this bag is coming with me!" Gohan said tonelessly and walked out to the front of the bank.

Videl just watched him go and could not come out of her shock for a few minutes. Finally, something puzzling caught her attention and she rushed outside to catchup before he disappeared.

" _Ok, Delivery Boy, I guess I'll consent to your sense of justice but you've still got a lot to answer for! No one talks to me like that!_ " Videl thought to herself as she hurried outside.

Gohan had made his way out to the front of the bank and stood a few feet from the policemen who were busy putting the crooks and some of the wounded officers in ambulances that just arrived. The robbery got the attention of several more officers as Gohan noticed over a dozen of them present at the scene. Some of them, including the chief, took notice of Gohan and rushed over to talk to him. Others stayed behind to fend off the slew of reporters that had begun massing behind police barricades.

" _If I have to deal with them again, I think I'll go bananas!"_ Gohan thought feeling somewhat at peace that they couldn't reach him for questions.

"Excuse me, officers?" Gohan called while trying to be polite.

The chief spoke up, "What is it, uh, young man?"

"Videl deserves all the credit but I did give her a helping hand taking those guys down. We were just in the bank vault and I found this bag. I think it has a bunch of unused bombs in it," Gohan said calmly.

"Wait? BOMBS! Son, what are you thinking?!" The chief said getting hysterical. "QUICK! Get the bomb squad over here on the double!"

He began reaching for the bag, but Gohan started floating into the air and was out of all the police officers' reaches in seconds. Several onlookers shouted in both fear and amazement as Gohan flew up about twenty feet above all the people watching. All reporters on the scene had their supporting cameramen get a good long look at Gohan's actions.

" _I didn't completely think this through but so long as I'm in Super Saiyan form there should be no harm! Hopefully this will show them that I'm more than just some fraud!"_ Gohan thought to himself and sighed to mentally calm himself.

"Everyone! I don't want you to be afraid of me. I just want to show you some pretty fireworks in the sky so you have proof that what I can do is for real!" Gohan called to the people below him.

He began charging up a yellow ball of ki to the size of a bowling ball in his left hand. At the same time he had taken the duffle bag by its strap into his right hand. Videl had come out of the bank and noticing where all the people were looking turned her head up in time to see Gohan quickly fling it high into the sky. He then cocked his left hand back towards the earth with his ball of ki now the size of a watermelon and densely packed with energy and shot it up at the duffle bag. Everyone below him saw a long stream of light shoot out his hand into the sky and directly along the path of the duffle bag's ascent. Some seconds passed as Gohan continued shooting his beam upward before it connected with the bomb bag and resulted in a huge explosion of fire and smoke several hundred feet above the city.

People in the streets panicked for a few moments but no fires rained down over them as they had been expecting. It all dissipated in a large puff of smoke.

" _There! That should stop any bombings in this city!"_ Gohan thought to himself triumphantly and smiled in relief.

"Hey, Monkey Boy!" Videl shouted up at him with a huge smirk on her face, "You want to tell us why you can do all that fancy flying and energy shooting?"

Gohan looked down at her puzzled for a second as he floated a little closer to the ground and asked, "What do you mean by Monkey Boy?"

"That golden tail of yours! How the heck did you attach it to your body? It looks so real!" She replied as the whole town below caught sight of his furry appendage swishing in the air behind him.

* * *

Supreme Kai and Kibito returned to King Yemma's place mere seconds after leaving Cell's prison. Shin felt his hold on Cell weaken since he was quite a distance away. King Yemma wasn't as surprised by their return as he was when they arrived but upon seeing the state of his superior he was immediately alarmed.

"Sir?" King Yemma questioned, "Are you alright?"

"Yes, Yemma" Shin said struggling to stay standing. "We've just had an intense discussion with Cell."

"Kibito, I can't hold him any longer. He will break free soon enough," Shen stated with a heavy breath while sweating heavily. "But it should be alright since he is trapped down there-"

His statement was cut short as Shin felt Cell destroy the barrier holding him in place. Shin collapsed to his hands and knees now sweating profusely.

"Supreme Kai! Are you alright?" Kibito asked with concern as he rushed to his master's aid.

Taking a few moments to catch himself, Shin slowly got to his feet and replied, "I will be fine but let us rest for a bit before we continue our investigation."

King Yemma was completely baffled by the way the Supreme Kai was acting and felt even more uneasy. Looking around he took notice of several of his subordinates looking at Shin with similar expressions.

"You there!" King Yemma called over to them. They jumped at his commanding tone turned to face Yemma.

"Yes, sir?" a blue faced young ogre asked timidly.

"Check on the status of the prison holding the creature we know as Cell. I want to make sure that he is contained within and there are absolutely no chances of him getting out! Is that clear?" King Yemma commanded firmly.

"Yes, sir! Crystal clear!" the blue ogre replied and urging his colleague to help, the duo left in a hurry.

King Yemma returned his attention to Shin and saw with some relief that Shin was standing up and had regained his stamina.

"King Yemma, please direct me to the whereabouts of North Kai," Shin said calmly.

"I believe he is still at the location where his planet use to be," King Yemma said while flipping through his book of departed souls.

"Cell blew up his planet too?" Kibito asked in shock.

"Yes. It seems in an effort to save the earth, Goku brought Cell to King Kai's planet just before Cell was willing to blow himself up with the earth," King Yemma explained.

"Kibito, let us make haste. There is much we need to uncover and little time to do it." Shin said sternly.

"Very well, Master." Kibito replied in compliance.

"Thank you, King Yemma. We will be in touch," Shin said as he gave a quick bow. Shin then placed his left hand on Kibito's right arm and they teleported away to meet with King Kai.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

So, I'm sure some are wondering what was with the hiatus? Well, lots of things have been going on in my personal life these past couple months. Work related issues and family issues. The most recent being that I had to say goodbye to my grandmother on my dad's side as she passed away in the past couple of weeks. It's been a roller coaster of events to say the least. I had parts of the next couple chapters planned out several weeks ago but did not have time to finish them until recently. So, here's a two for one deal.


	16. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer**

All original content is owned by Akira Toriyama and his affiliates.

 **Chapter 15:**

Chi-Chi watched the entire scene unfold in front of her with much anticipation and mixed feelings. She felt anger at her son over his disobedience, pride over his way of handling the situation, scared that her little boy was becoming a delinquent day by day, and utter fear over the world knowing who he really was as that rude little girl called out the one thing that could ruin his future and label him as a freak or worse to society. She also felt powerless because she was sure her shouting at him would cement these worries as truth.

" _I can't stand watching this! If Gohan doesn't get out of this mess soon I'll go down there and get his attention!"_ Chi-Chi thought to herself as she watched Gohan floating in midair.

Gohan meanwhile floated above the crowd of people echoing similar questions and thought hard how to get himself out of his current predicament of letting one of his biggest secrets slip out. " _I can't believe I let my emotions get the better of me again! I should've stuffed my tail in my shorts or something like that! I need to leave before they figure anything else out about me."_

"Sorry Videl. There's not really much to tell except that I've trained hard to be able to do this "fancy" stuff for a long time and I was born with a tail," Gohan called back down to her some beads of sweat showing on his forehead.

Not satisfied with that answer, Videl replied with another bout of questions as if she were a reporter herself. "How did you _train_ for this exactly? I don't see any sort of flying machine or wires holding you up there. Where did you learn martial arts from? Where do you live? Why-"

Gohan cut her off trying to keep his cool and said, "Sorry, that's personal and not for everyone to know. I have to go now! I wasn't really trying to butt in but whenever there is crime going on, I'm willing to help."

Without waiting for a response he powered up and flew off over the direction where he spied his mother standing and watching him with anticipation. " _I'm going to hear an earful from Mom once we get out of here. Well, she can wait a few minutes. I've gotta make sure these people don't see me in my normal state!"_

Videl watched him speed off and stamped her foot in frustration. "I swear Monkey Boy, I'm getting closer to figuring you out!" she yelled up to him as he disappeared.

"Miss Videl?" one officer called over to her, "I know his mysterious abilities are worth digging into but we really need your help! Can you help us get these crooks in the ambulances? We really need to get them to the hospital."

"Sure thing officer," she replied sighing and walked over with him to the "pile" of unconscious crooks. " _How did that kid lift these guys so easily? He made them look like they were a sack of feathers!"_

As Videl helped the police with the recent robbery situation, Gohan had already flown over his mom's head and was several blocks away before quickly descending into an alley where no one could see him. Feeling safe to revert to base form, he dropped out of his Super Saiyan form. He made sure that his mom had seen him and locked eyes with her briefly. Quietly and without giving off an aura, he flew to the top of the nearby building. After a few moments of searching, Gohan caught site of his mom a few buildings over.

" _Guess I'll make quick jumps across the buildings from here. It'll be like the times before I learned how to fly."_ Gohan thought to himself with a smirk as he peered into the streets beneath him. Not noticing any people and guessing that they were still at the scene of the robbery, Gohan ran at top speed to jump across several 60-80 foot gaps between buildings. It didn't take long to land on the roof where his mom stood impatiently waiting.

As he neared her Chi-Chi felt motherly instinct overcome her and rushed to embrace Gohan in a tight hug.

"Oh, my baby! I saw what happened and hoped that they wouldn't pester you with any more questions! You're not hurt are you? Do I need to give them a piece of my mind?! Especially that Videl! I thought she had better manners than that!" Chi-Chi wailed to Gohan while squeezing him with seemingly unnatural strength.

"Mom-can't—breathe—" Gohan tried to utter with his face turning to a dark shade of blue.

"Oh!" Chi-Chi exclaimed and let go of him. Gohan took in several deep gasps of air before replying, "Everything worked out Mom. I helped save her life and those people that they took hostage. No one was hurt!"

"Well, good. Now that I know you're alright we have something we need to talk about! But it can wait until we are home," Chi-Chi said letting her anger over Gohan's disobedience takeover.

Gohan just gulped in fear and said, "Alright. I'll carry you home."

"Good. And be sure to keep your tail wrapped around you like a belt so you can have better practice holding it there," Chi-Chi said sternly.

Gohan nodded and making a quick motion, grabbed his mom gently and held her as if cradling a baby. He then took the opportunity to look around and make sure that no one could see them. He peered slightly over the edge of the roof to survey the situation below. A crowd of people still remained and a mob of reporters had swarmed the scene.

" _No doubt they're asking people about me,"_ Gohan thought sourly. Feeling confident that nobody could see them, he walked to the opposite end of the building and taking a chance, powered up his white aura and sped off at a rapid pace. His mom screamed in fear as they disappeared from the city. Gohan just kept at the same speed and didn't care how loud she yelled for him to slow down.

" _Why should I care that she's upset about this? She's already mad at me to begin with!"_ Gohan thought to himself angrily. " _Well, this is one fight Mom isn't going to win!"_

Mere moments after leaving King Yemma's, Shin and Kibito arrived at the area where King Kai's planet had been hovering above Snake Way only days ago. They found themselves floating in space with traces of debris from the former planet and immediately began looking around for signs of King Kai.

"Well, Sir. Any ideas on his whereabouts? I'm guessing he didn't want to give up his body," Kibito asked trying to spring forth ideas.

"No…not exactly. Unless…," Shin pondered aloud while looking around and trying to sense King Kai's energy. "Well, King Yemma did say that the warrior from earth, Goku I believe was his name, transported Cell to King Kai's former planet. Maybe they went to meet with other warriors who reside in Other World."

"Ah, yes! They must be at the training grounds on Grand Kai's planet!" Kibito piped up excitedly.

"Not so fast Kibito," Shin said after a few more moments of thought and searching for energy. "I finally found him. King Kai is located near the base of that giant tree that Snake Way wraps part of its path around."

Shin pointed in the direction and Kibito took a glance while stating, "Odd. I would have been sure we would find them at the training grounds. I wonder why they are there of all places to be?"

"I'm not sure but I only sense one being there and I'm positive it's King Kai," Shin replied just as confused. "Let us make haste."

Kibito nodded and after putting his hands on Shin's shoulders, Shin teleported them over to King Kai's location.

King Kai sat in a comfy green chair near the cloud base of the tree while surfing the Other World TV Channels. Grumbles echoed around the tree trunk as he fussed over the lack of decent quality shows for his standards. In an otherwise shadowy area that he made his home, only the glow of his TV lightened up the area.

"Really now! Over 10,000 channels and not a single one of them has anything worth my time! I COULD be cruising in my car on my PLANET but no! Somebody had to go and blow it up!" King Kai ranted to nobody in the vicinity as he moodily watched a program showing the diverse and bountiful views of planets in his area of the universe.

The sudden appearance of Shin and Kibito mere feet behind his TV caught King Kai off guard and he tumbled backwards in shock, flipping his chair on its backside. His only remote flew out of his right hand and sailed into the cloudy abyss below.

His temper boiling over, he began shouting from a lying down position and struggled to get to his feet. "Goku! You moron! You've lost our only remote! How many times do I have to tell you to stop doing that?! YOU can go down to Hell and fetch it yourself!"

Kibito and Shin were somewhat taken aback from the onslaught of angry statements, but willing to calm the temper of a misdirected scolding Shin replied, "I will get you a bountiful supply of remotes King Kai, if you give me your time and answer my questions."

King Kai heard the strangely familiar and calm voice, realized it wasn't Goku, and quickly stood to see the Supreme Kai and his attendant Kibito standing mere feet in front of him.

It took King Kai a few seconds to register his guests and beads of sweat began pouring profusely down his face. He immediately turned red faced and groveled on the floor in shame, "Supreme Kai Sir! I am so sorry for my angry tantrum just now! That was specifically meant for a warrior known by the name of Goku and not you!"

"King Kai, please! It is an honest misunderstanding. Just stand and speak to me as you would normally," Shin said holding his hands out in an apologetic gesture with a smile on his face.

Getting to his feet, dusting off his clothes, and calming himself, King Kai placed his arms behind his back and said, "Alright. Let me try this again. This is an unexpected surprise from you, Supreme Kai. And Kibito, good day to you also."

Kibito nodded with a grunt and turned his gaze to Shin.

"Yes, let me cut to the chase, King Kai, as I need to know about the recent events that happened on Earth from your perspective," Shin said with seriousness.

"My perspective?" King Kai said somewhat shocked but began surmising the events that lead Shin to his location. "Who else have you received information from? King Yemma?"

"Yes, and Cell himself," Shin acknowledged.

"You spoke with Cell?!" King Kai asked astounded. "No offense, but Cell is not one to mess with, even at your level!"

"I am aware of his capabilities but I also appreciate your concern. That's why I'm here. I need some confirmation on his background and defeat. My understanding is a young boy by the name of Gohan was the one who killed Cell," Shin replied curtly.

"Uh, yes. Goku's son is the champion of the universe for sure!" King Kai said somewhat ashamed of his comment on Shin's strength.

"That begs the question: where is Goku?" Kibito cut in. "I feel we owe him some praise for his actions against such a monster of a being!"

King Kai's temper returned immediately as he replied, "That homewrecker is currently training on Grand Kai's planet with other warriors! He can stay there for a millennia for all I care!"

"So, I'm to assume he's also partly to blame for your current predicament?" Kibito asked cautiously while raising one eyebrow.

"Yes! He could have teleported Cell to anywhere, the dead of space where Namek used to be, Princess Snake's place, the middle of Snake Way, or even Hell itself! But no! He had to come to my planet and blow me and it to smithereens!" King Kai shouted in anger.

"And then he had the nerve to pass it off like it wasn't a big deal and then want to find other dead warriors to train with!" King Kai continued.

"So you just let him go alone?" Shin asked curiously.

"No, I went with him but all he wants to do is stay there and train and fight and train and fight some more! I swear if he wasn't eating me out of…tree-house and home, he's only got fighting on the brain! So, I told him to stay there as long he wants and eat Grand Kai out of house and home instead!" King Kai finished angrily.

"I see," Shin said unsure of how to stir the conversation back to his need for information, "Well, can you tell us everything leading up to your spat with Goku then?"

"Ah. Yes, sir. I'm sorry, it's just that I'm a little overwhelmed at the recent turn of events," King Kai said and coughed to clear his throat. "Goku actually filled me in on the events since I hadn't been keeping track after Frieza went to Earth to destroy it about three Earth years ago.

"What? Frieza was going to blow the Earth up too?" Shin asked wide-eyed.

"Well, he never got the chance and is another current resident of Hell. But his hatred of Goku and lust for revenge sent him there," King Kai explained.

"This is insane! Earth was never supposed to be such a homing beacon to those who would want it destroyed!" Shin said worriedly with sweat appearing on his face.

King Kai added, "Actually, it was saved from destruction a few years prior from a pair of Saiyans under Frieza's reign at the time-"

"Augh! Please, King Kai, can we just stick with the more recent issues?!" Shin interrupted him clearly exasperated at everything he was hearing. "I will happily hear all that stuff later but I really need to know more about Cell and meet Gohan. It's very urgent that I understand the more important items."

"Oh, very well," King Kai said somewhat upset his history lesson was being cut short, "I'll try to keep it short but the events with Cell actually started roughly four Earth years ago…"

Gohan and his mom landed at their home less than an hour after leaving Satan City. After Gohan touched down on their front yard, Chi-Chi led the way into the house. Gohan followed her in and after closing the door; he took a deep breath to prepare himself for the dreaded conversation to come. He knew it wasn't going to pleasant.

Chi-Chi had walked into her bedroom to put away some of her things she brought with them for their trip. She returned to the living room a few moments later to see that Gohan had turned the TV on but was facing her with his hands behind his back staring in shame at the carpet beneath his feet.

The channel was turned to the news station that was going over headlines relating to the robbery at the bank in Satan City.

"Well, I see you're ready for a scolding, but you wouldn't have to feel the way you do if you would listen to your mother," Chi-Chi said sternly.

" _Here it goes. Keep it together, Gohan. Mom just cares about me is all…just a little too much."_ He thought to himself while taking a deep breath.

"Mom, I'm sorry for disobeying you but I just can't sit around and let innocent people get hurt!" Gohan said sadly but in a clearly defined voice. "I'm not going to go looking for trouble, but I'm also not going to ignore it either!"

Chi-Chi crossed her arms with a sigh and replied, "Gohan, I let you _train_ with your father to combat those androids. I let you _train_ to help your father get stronger because I thought he was going to be the hero that saves the day like he always did before! I didn't want to see you on the front lines taking charge! You're just a little boy and shouldn't have to see that kind of violence!"

"But I already saw that kind of violence before Cell. I saw more than I wanted when I went to Namek," Gohan argued.

"Yes, I know and I'm still kicking myself for letting you go! Even more so now than before!" Chi-Chi said as she was reminded of how painful it was not knowing if Gohan was going to make it back alive or not.

"Mom, why do you try to keep me from using these abilities I have? I didn't ask to be born with them but since I have them shouldn't I use 'em? Like my brain for academics?" Gohan asked feeling frustrated.

"Fighting is not the answer no matter what! The world is at peace and you need to get back to your studies to be a scholar someday! How can you be successful in life solely living off prize money and fame? I will not see you go down the path of Hercule Satan, Gohan!" Chi-Chi said while raising her voice as she felt like she was getting nowhere with her son.

"Is that what you really think, Mom?! I don't like that guy! Let alone wanting to be anything HE's become!" Gohan shot back with his own temper rising.

"GOHAN! Don't you dare raise your voice at me! I WILL NOT hear any more of it! You are done fighting and you are done training! That includes your trips to see Piccolo until you show me some respect young man! This discussion is over, now go to your room and start studying!" Chi-Chi replied in her full on angry mode.

Gohan felt like he had been slapped in the face. He stared at his mom in shock with his mouth hung open. " _So, now she won't even let me do the one thing I need to better control my powers? It's not like I'm going to turn evil, but I need to control myself or I really will be the next threat to the earth! I can't not do anything, and she has no right to be so ignorant of everything in front of her!"_

Slowly and as delicately as he could say it for fear of losing his own temper Gohan replied, "Ok, Mom. I understand and I'm sorry."

Chi-Chi replied softer but still sternly, "Good, now that's a start. If you go get started on your next few lessons, I can get ready to make dinner."

Gohan had turned around as she spoke, but instead of going towards his room he walked towards the front door.

He clenched his teeth and fought back the building outburst he wanted to unleash on her as his tail swished angrily behind him. Gohan felt no desire to listen to her. Calmly but sternly he said, "Mom, I'm sorry that you don't truly have pride in my abilities as a martial artist. All you want me to do is sit and study and barely do anything else a kid my age should be doing."

It was Chi-Chi's turn to feel like she had been slapped in the face as she stared at Gohan with her own shocked expression.

Gohan continued before she could get a word in, "You said things before about how you were happy that I was able to beat Cell and help save the earth but once it was safe, it's like you don't want to acknowledge I ever did anything to help!"

He turned his head over his shoulder with an angry glare directed right at her and added, "At least Dad took pride in both my fighting and my school smarts! You're a fighter by nature too, right? Why do you hate that part of me you passed on so much?"

Chi-Chi couldn't find words to answer and continued to stare at him in shock as she wasn't sure she should go into a fit of rage or go cry in a corner.

His angry glare remained but his voice softened as Gohan continued speaking, "Mom, did you ever think that maybe if I didn't train to control my powers, I'd completely lose myself and hurt even the people I love the most? That I might hurt you or my new sibling?"

"Wait…what-what do you mean, Gohan?" Chi-Chi finally asked in a soft voice.

Gohan had turned the knob and opened the front door to the sunny and cloud-free day outside before replying, "Just think back to when Vegeta was our enemy and he came to Earth to destroy it. You saw what his monster form was! Well, I have it too! It's actually why we were able to beat him back then. You just couldn't believe that I did that!"

"Monster….form…?" Chi-Chi stammered.

"Think it over, Mom! I'm sorry but I need some time for myself. I'm going to go see Piccolo now whether you like it or not!" He said with such a tone of finality that made Chi-Chi recoil from him a bit.

Gohan took a few steps outside and prepared to take off. He stood there a few seconds and turned around to see his mom nearly shaking and ready to cry and felt a little sorry for her.

Sighing he said, "But I promise I'll be back later."

A white aura enveloped his body and Gohan flew off towards the Lookout.

Chi-Chi just continued to stare at the now empty doorway and run through everything Gohan had said to her in her mind. " _I don't take pride in his fighting abilities? Control his powers? Monster…?!"_

She didn't even register the TV in the background as a news alert came on the channel. "Breaking news from downtown Satan City! We have just received word that the ambulance that was carrying the crooks from the robbery at the downtown bank in Satan City has been blown up! Pieces of it are scattered across a roadway mere miles from the bank! It seems that there are charred remains of the driver and a few of the crooks found scattered all over! Our current understanding is that some of the bodies are missing and no word on how this tragedy has occurred. We now go live to the scene…"

"…and that is where we are now Supreme Kai, Sir." King Kai said as he finished telling his tale.

Shin and Kibito just stood in silence and took it all in for a few moments.

" _Time travel? Super Saiyans? Androids? What in the name of the universe has been going here?!_ " Shin pondered to himself feeling overwhelmed with the onslaught of information he received in so short of a time.

"All of this begs more understanding on my part, but for now I can feel somewhat at peace that we have hope for our future," Shin said with a sigh of relief.

"What do you mean by that, Sir?" King Kai questioned feeling a little nervous.

"I'm sorry but now that I know who to contact directly, you'll have to wait a bit King Kai," Shin replied apologetically.

"Perhaps you can listen in with your antennae? We are going to go see Dende immediately so we can find young Gohan," Kibito piped in.

"Ah, sure! I just didn't want to intrude!" King Kai replied as Kibito took hold of Shin for their departure.

"Thank you for your help King Kai. We will speak again soon!" Shin said as his energy enveloped his and Kibito's bodies before vanishing in a flash of white light.

"Why does Mom have to make it so difficult for me?!" Gohan shouted to the world as he passed mountains and valleys beneath him at a fast pace.

"I never wanted to be a fighter to begin with but it's still a part of me as much as my hair and my tail!" He shouted louder as his white aura began flashing gold and his began changing color. His speed increased making the land turn to ocean beneath him.

"And yeah I wanna be a scholar someday but that doesn't mean I need to read book after book until my brains leak out!" Gohan shouted going full on Super Saiyan at this point.

Gohan took notice of his anger bringing out his powers once again. " _Fine by me! I wish Vegeta were in the mood to fight! I really need someone to spar with right now! Ah! Maybe Piccolo will be up to the challenge!"_ Gohan flew at the fastest speed he could go and arched his flight towards the sky as Korin's Tower was just becoming visible.

Mere seconds later Gohan found himself touching down on the Lookout. His anger had turned to eagerness and as Piccolo and Dende strolled over to greet him, Gohan took notice of two new figures standing just behind them.

As Gohan got closer, he could see that both Namekians were troubled by something. It was clear as day on their faces.

"Gohan, I'm glad you came. There's someone here who really wants to meet you," Piccolo said feeling a little nervous.

"Um, sure thing, Piccolo. Who are those two?" Gohan questioned with any trace of anger he had been feeling now gone.

"I can answer that for you Gohan," Shin said as he and Kibito had followed Piccolo and Dende closer to the Lookout's edge.

"Ok," Gohan said warily with his senses checking them over to be sure they weren't a threat.

"Relax, Gohan. We're not here to cause trouble," Shin said reading his mind. "You may call me Shin, but my real title is Supreme Kai and my attendant standing next to me is Kibito."

Shocked, Gohan looked at them for a split second longer, immediately blinked away the shock and bowed in respect. "Um, it's very nice to meet you, Sir. I never knew King Kai had superiors."

"Well, this boy certainly knows his manners!" Kibito stated with a smile. "It's good to meet you as well!"

Taking a look at Gohan's shirt and shorts Kibito added, "However; humans are very laid back on clothing designs."

"Should I put on something more formal? I don't know your customs," Gohan said suddenly becoming self-aware.

"No, its fine! I'd like to ask you a quick favor if you don't mind though?" Shin replied.

"Uh, sure! What can I do?" Gohan asked innocently.

"Would you be able to spar with Kibito right here and now? I've heard a lot about your abilities and we'd like to see them for ourselves. And we'd like you to go all out!" Shin replied with a smirk.

"Wait! What? Spar with Mr. Kibito and go all out?" Gohan asked with concern.

"Absolutely! I want to know your full potential!" Shin replied cheerfully but in a calm voice.

"Um, my full potential isn't as easy to obtain as it was about a week ago, but I'll go as high as I can!" Gohan said happily.

"Well, we'll see what comes of this little match. Piccolo, can we use this open flat space?" Kibito asked as he led Gohan to the center of the Lookout.

Sighing and crossing his arms Piccolo nodded, "Sure, but Gohan could you avoid destroying any more trees? Mr. Popo is running out of seeds!"

Gohan's face turned bright red as he replied, "Uh, sure thing Mr. Piccolo!"

"I'm actually excited to see this, Gohan!" Dende called over to him. "I haven't seen you fight up close for a while now! Good luck!"

Gohan gave Dende a quick smile as he stood opposite Kibito. He then gave another bow of respect while Kibito returned the bow in kind and then they both took a defensive fighting stance. Their bodies bladed, ignoring the obvious difference in their body masses, Gohan and Kibito still mirrored each other's technique perfectly. They locked eyes and waited for each other to make a move.

" _This guy looks strong and skilled! I guess I'm going to get my fight after all!"_ Gohan thought as he watched Kibito carefully. " _Weird how I feel so calm and loose!"_

" _I can already feel a strong power from this boy and his fighting skills already look remarkable! I'm going to have to go all out to keep up with him!"_ Kibito thought with unease as he tensed his body more than he intended to.

"Ok, Mr. Kibito! I'm gonna power up to my current limit and then we can start!" Gohan shouted smiling.

Gohan's smile disappeared and was replaced with a look of strong determination. Gohan pulled his power from deep inside and golden light erupted around his body. Gritting his teeth, Gohan let it all flow to the surface and his body began flashing with his Super Saiyan glow.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Yes, I know. It's been too long. Personal life issues keep getting in the way but I'm far from finished writing and want to move things along. Working to get Chapter 16 out within the next week (1st weekend of November is my goal).

Regarding the review from Guest on Oct. 7, yes the summary was vague but I also wanted to show an air of mystery. I also didn't know the direction the story was going until things just fell into place over time. Probably going to edit a lot of things like that at some point, but that is a small concern at the moment.


	17. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer**

All original content is owned by Akira Toriyama and his affiliates.

 **Chapter 16:**

The wind created by Gohan's power-up made everyone watching shield their eyes and struggle to stay standing. Even Shin was pushed backwards several feet. No trees were hurt this time around, however. Gohan felt odd only wearing shorts and a t-shirt for a battle of this scale but quickly shrugged it off over his excitement at being challenged.

Satisfied and smirking Gohan made the first move and flew at Kibito at a fast pace. Kibito was still trying to recover from the shock of the power surge and he barely had time to react to Gohan punching with his right fist aimed at Kibito's face.

Kibito managed to block the initial punch by crossing his arms in front of his body but the force of it pushed him backwards a few yards as he dragged his heels across the Lookout's surface. Gohan then began relentlessly punching with both his right and left hands as if Kibito's arms were a punching bag.

For several moments Kibito could only take the force of each of Gohan's blows pounding on his quickly bruising arms. Kibito watched with intense eyes trying to find an opening. Not able to find one through the pummeling punches, he took a chance and planted his left foot firmly on the floor of the Lookout.

Kibito then twisted his body so that Gohan's onslaught went to nothing but thin air for only a split second. It was all Kibito needed to catch Gohan off-guard before taking his right elbow and slamming it into the young boy's head!

Gohan felt the force of Kibito's elbow and had little time to react as he was knocked perpendicular to his original direction with a painfully strong force.

Using his energy he managed to stop himself from flying more than a couple yards, did a quick flip to land on his feet to face Kibito once more, and with a smirk on his face, Gohan used the force of landing on his feet as a spring to launch himself back at Kibito.

Kibito was surprised by Gohan's quick response and braced himself for another onslaught. Gohan got within a foot of Kibito before increasing his speed and to everyone watching, even Kibito, he vanished out of sight.

Kibito stayed his ground and felt around with his senses for Gohan's next attack. " _This kid is fast and strong! I haven't had a good fight like this in a long time!"_ He thought to himself grinning.

Suddenly he felt a change in the air pressure to his right, and jumped into the air. Gohan flew right under Kibito with a kick that was aimed for Kibito's stomach. Kibito used this chance to retaliate with a right punch of his own but missed as Gohan quickly planted his hands on the floor and rolled out of the way. The floor underneath received the blow as several feet of tiles around the spot of impact exploded instantly.

Gohan had taken the opportunity to get a few feet of distance between himself and Kibito and decided to change his tactics. Placing his hands together above his head with palms facing toward Kibito, a large yellow ball of light began forming in his hands.

Kibito was preparing to right himself on his feet when he saw golden light flare off to his left side. He turned to see Gohan's Super Saiyan aura flashing brilliantly and a fairly large ball of golden-yellow form just in front of Gohan's forehead.

Gohan thrusted his hands forward and shouted "Masenko!"

Kibito barely had time to react as the beam of golden-yellow light blasted towards him and grew to a size just large enough to engulf his entire body. Gohan channeled the beam in an arc just so it would fly parallel with the earth rather than toward the ground below.

As he released the flow of energy and the giant light show faded, Gohan stood with his aura still going strong and waiting in anticipation for Kibito to make a move. He knew Kibito wouldn't go down so quickly.

Piccolo watched from a safe distance with pride over Gohan's handling of the fight so far. " _He doesn't even look winded after that attack! He's definitely mastered it!"_

"Do you think Gohan is capable of meeting your standards, Supreme Kai?" Piccolo asked as Shin stood next to him watching the sparring match in awe.

"I think so. Kibito isn't finished just yet but he hasn't had to push himself this hard in a long time either," Shin commented somewhat concerned.

"So, Gohan will be a clear winner of this little match then?" Dende piped up excitedly.

"He's definitely got more stamina than Kibito at the moment," Shin said as Kibito reappeared at the opposite edge of the Lookout from where Gohan stood.

Kibito had taken the blast head on and as he sailed near the edge of the lookout, he pushed himself towards the earth below and fell under the blast as it sailed out of sight. His clothes were ripped and torn all over, his face was scratched and burnt in some places, and some blood trickled down the sides of his hands.

"Should we stop now Mr. Kibito?" Gohan asked taking notice of Kibito's wounds as he strolled back towards the center of the Lookout. "I held back a little with that blast but I didn't think it would do that much damage to you!"

Kibito smiled at him and said, "Such a considerate young man! No, we will continue some more in due time. I can go a little longer than you think. Besides, Gohan, I want to see past your "current limit" as you called it."

"I can try but it's not that easy to bring up. I've been meditating to make it easier to come out and I've almost reached it. But I still haven't had much practice with that power," Gohan said a little ashamed of himself.

"I see," Kibito said thoughtfully. "Well, why don't you go ahead and do what you need to for it to come out more easily?"

"You sure? I don't wanna sound full of myself but you won't have any chance to beat me if I do Mr. Kibito," Gohan said warily.

"I am grateful that you are worried you might cause me irreparable damage," Kibito said knowingly.

"Well, Dende is here to heal our wounds I guess," Gohan began before yellow light engulfed Kibito's body in a quick flash. Gohan shielded his eyes for a few seconds and when the light passed Kibito stood with his clothes still shredded but his wounds were gone.

"But I can also mend wounds so long as I have the power to do so," Kibito added as if reading Gohan's thoughts and shocked expression.

"This sparring match was for us to see your power for ourselves. It wasn't meant to be a contest," Kibito added with a smile.

"Oh, ok." Gohan replied with a cheerful smile as he sat down and crossed his legs. "Give me a little time and I think I can get there. I was so excited to get close before!"

Shin, Dende, and Piccolo walked over to see why the sparring had stopped and Piccolo immediately understood.

"So, you really want to see his full potential?" Piccolo asked as Gohan closed his eyes and focused on regaining his inner ascended power. His golden tail swished to and fro at slow paces to match his breathing.

"Whatever it takes," Shin replied with a hint of nervousness in his voice. "I hope this method is the best one."

"Yes it should be. We've been making real progress after he recovered from his fight with Cell," Piccolo replied in a low voice. "Let's give him space just in case it happens sooner than expected. You don't want to be right next to him when his power explodes."

Everyone agreed and walked towards the far building to wait.

" _Ok. I almost got there the other day so it shouldn't take much more pushing."_ Gohan thought to himself while taking deep chested breaths.

" _If I look deep inside and just let it come out bit by bit I think I can handle the overwhelming anger that came with it the first time."_ Gohan told himself as his heart rate from the recent bout with Kibito slowed down even more.

Finally feeling at peace and mind nearly empty, Gohan put all his focus on reaching his ascended form.

The others stood under the overhang leading to the Hyberbolic Time Chamber and watched as Gohan sat calmly meditating. Even his gold tail had slowed its swishing considerably.

Minutes ticked by slowly as all eyes were on Gohan, waiting for his transformation. Mr. Popo had even joined the group as he had heard the fighting earlier but was finishing some of his repairs on the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.

"Ah, Piccolo and Dende! I see Gohan returned to continue his meditation," Mr. Popo said smiling as he approached the group.

He took notice of Shin and Kibito and said, "Welcome to Earth's Lookout. I take it you are from the Otherworld? There's something about your energy that reminds me of it."

"Yes, we are. I shall explain the purpose of our visit in detail after we get a good look at Gohan's full power," Shin said while returning a pleasant smile.

"Dende?" Piccolo began with a grin, "Do you feel his power growing?"

"I think so," Dende said as he searched out with his senses. "Gohan hasn't moved a muscle for some time now. I can feel his Super Saiyan energy for sure but the deeper pull is harder to put a trace on."

"Try your best to find it growing. This is a good way to train your abilities when the world seems to be at peace," Piccolo commented.

Dende kept his eyes on Gohan's outwardly calm demeanor but after a few moments of searching, the vastness of Gohan's ascended power grew stronger by the second. "It's really coming now! Are we at a safe enough distance?" Dende asked with concern.

"I think he's got it under control-" Piccolo began before a strong burst of wind blew from where Gohan sat and took them all by surprise.

Gohan's eyes flashed open as he reached the barrier and pushed through to his inner power. Smiling and feeling it surge out from inside of him, Gohan jumped to his feet and turned to look at everyone with a mischievous grin.

Once again his Super Saiyan aura engulfed his body and flames of golden light wrapped around him at tremendous speeds. Putting his hands at his sides, Gohan then began screaming and pulled the power out with full force. Brighter golden light erupted from within the golden flames and exploded in a circular pillar towards the darker sky above the Lookout. At the same time Gohan's muscles all over his body expanded slightly and his hair spiked upward with the pillar of light. Blue electricity began dancing all around his body with his golden tail swishing behind him.

Everyone watching initially had to shield their eyes from the blinding combination of light and wind. After a few moments they were able to see Gohan's transformation for themselves.

"His power is overwhelmingly huge!" Shin said out of nervousness and relief at the same time.

Beads of sweat began appearing on Kibito's forehead as he became more aware of Gohan's deep power. "It is similar to that of Cell but I feel that even Cell would be beaten at this point. Sir, I will still make sure of it for myself though."

Kibito walked out towards Gohan without another word, knowing that there would be no contest.

Gohan stood reveling in his abilities but still feeling relatively calm and collected for the first time since he achieved his Super Saiyan 2 form. " _I feel lighter than a feather and ready to run around the planet at least a thousand times over!_ "

He sported another grin as Kibito came within a few feet of him and said, "Well, Mr. Kibito. Am I strong enough now?"

"Let me put that to the test Gohan. Don't hesitate to fight me even if you seem to have the upper hand now," Kibito replied with a smile as he got into a fighting stance.

Gohan nodded with a smirk and said, "Ok. Ready when you are!"

Kibito made his move and lunged at Gohan with a powerful right punch but Gohan easily stopped it using only his energy. Kibito quickly darted backwards a few feet before fading out of sight at the fastest speed he could muster and tried to hit Gohan from behind.

Gohan felt it coming and easily side stepped the sneak attack. Once again Kibito darted away from Gohan to get some distance and as he did, Kibito quickly held his right arm out with palm facing Gohan and fired a human-sized beam of yellow ki at Gohan.

Gohan raised his left hand with the palm facing the oncoming beam and fired his own golden beam back at the incoming yellow beam. Both beams collided mere feet from Gohan and exploded in a cloud of smoke. Gohan rushed through the smoke to where Kibito originally stood and unsurprisingly discovered that Kibito had disappeared. Feeling motion to his left, Gohan ducked under an incoming punch to his face and retaliated with a left punch to Kibito's stomach.

Kibito stopped his movements as soon as Gohan's fist connected with his stomach, coughed up spit mixed with some blood, and collapsed on his knees in searing pain while clutching at his stomach. Kibito could barely keep himself from tumbling over at the intensity of the punch.

Before Kibito could speak or make any movements Gohan jumped slightly into the air and kicked at Kibito's face with his left leg. Kibito immediately flew backwards and skipped like a rock on water across the Lookout several times before landing near the edge of the Lookout. Kibito rolled over the side but as he began falling, he grabbed at the edge of the Lookout with his right hand and barely managed to hang on.

With as much effort as he could muster, Kibito willed his energy to float him back up to the Lookout floor and towards the center several feet away from the edge. There he collapsed on his knees and fell to his hands gasping for air and trying to cope with the aches in his body.

"I shall take my turn now!" Shin called to Gohan as he ran at his own top speed to challenge the ascended Saiyan.

Gohan was surprised and turned to see Shin rushing at him. Preparing for a second onslaught of kicks and punches, Gohan was slightly confused when Shin got within punching distance and then suddenly disappeared from his sight without even attempting to hit him.

Gohan felt out with his sense for the fast moving Supreme Kai and expected him to be darting around the young Saiyan further trying to confuse him and launch an attack.

Gohan wasn't wrong as a ki blast half his size flew at him and exploded upon hitting Gohan's aura. It didn't faze him in the slightest.

Shin had immediately moved to another position opposite his first ki blast and fired again hitting Gohan in the back. Again the ki blast exploded but Gohan still felt nothing from it.

" _What is he trying to accomplish? He knows those small blasts will do nothing to me."_ Gohan thought as he watched Supreme Kai fade in and out of sight through the black smoke from the explosions.

A third blast now about the size of Gohan hit him from the front and resulted in a bigger explosion of black smoke around him.

"Alright, Supreme Kai, Sir! If that's all you've got than I'm going to make my move now!" Gohan called out from the smoke.

Shin meanwhile had taken a stance several feet in front of Gohan, stretched out his palms towards Gohan, and shouted "HAAAHHH!" as a strong surge of wind and blue light engulfed the Supreme Kai's body. In a quick flash of light that dissolved the remaining black smoke, Gohan was overcome by blue light himself and became stiff and unable to move.

"I was doing all that to throw you off-guard for this! I want to see how long it takes before you break the hold I've put on you!" Shin hollered as Gohan had instinctively begun to flare his ki and try to break free of it.

Gohan growled slightly as he struggled to move any of his muscles. Even speaking was hard to do with the force squeezing him in place. " _Ugh! That's what I get for underestimating him even though I technically have more power!_ " Gohan thought as no part of his body could budge even an inch of movement.

After a few moments of trying to force the barrier away, Gohan instead decided to relax and let go of the tension. " _Ok, if sheer force doesn't work, maybe I should try what I've been doing with my meditation and relax!"_

Taking as deep of a breath as he could muster and gradually releasing tension from his body, Gohan mentally pushed with all of his inner ki to explode from inside of him.

Shin felt the growing pressure from inside his barrier and struggled to maintain it. " _Gohan's power is definitely stronger than Cell's! It's taking everything I've got and that isn't enough-"_

Shin's thoughts were interrupted as Gohan's ki exploded outward from inside of him and enabled Gohan to move his muscles. Gohan's golden power channeled into his arms and legs. After thrusting his arms out to his sides while simultaneously unleashing more of his power, Gohan finally broke the barrier.

Another explosion of light and wind occurred in all directions and knocked everyone on the lookout backwards from Gohan. Piccolo, Dende, Mr. Popo, and Shin were slammed against the wall next to the doorway of the Hyberbolic Time Chamber. Kibito was too weakened to even try to fight the eruption of power and flew backwards, sailing over the edge of the Lookout. Recovery wasn't an option as the pain in his body left Kibito nearing a state of unconsciousness. As he began to fall towards the earth below, he felt himself stop abruptly and hover in the open sky.

"I think I went a little overboard fighting that last attack Mr. Kibito. Maybe we should stop for now and ask Dende to heal you?" Gohan's voice asked firmly but with a gentle undertone as he floated with Kibtio in hand over the Lookout and to where everyone had stood watching the brief fight.

Kibito just smiled weakly and uttered, "Yes…that…would…be fine."

Dende didn't need anyone to ask of him for aid as he got to his feet. He ran over to where Gohan set Kibito down and prepared to heal Kibito's wounds.

"Don't worry about me, Gohan. I'm fine. I'll fix Mr. Kibito up quickly," Dende said as if reading his friends mind.

Gohan said, "Ok." and walked over to the others to give Kibito some space for recovery.

Piccolo slowly got to his feet along with everyone else and couldn't stop looking at the sight of his student walking towards the group with golden hair spiked to the high heavens, a golden tail swishing behind him almost eagerly anticipating another action, and all the blue electricity crackling around the young half-saiyan's body. " _I just can't get over how strong Gohan has become and there's more to pull from too…"_

"Is everyone ok? I guess I pushed too much to break that barrier," Gohan asked with concern in his voice as he took note of how slowly they were raising themselves to their feet near a heavily impacted wall.

"Sorry Mr. Popo. I think I might have caused more damage to the Hyberbolic Time Chamber," Gohan said apologetically.

"I don't think it is as bad as you think it is Gohan but I will check for sure," Mr. Popo said assuredly.

"It looks like I underestimated you a bit Gohan, but after experiencing your power for myself and how easily you defeated Kibito, I really am grateful that you are here on Earth," Shin said with a smile.

"I too agree with my master!" Kibito called as he got to his feet with help from Dende. "You are a very capable warrior indeed!"

Gohan's face turned red out of embarrassment as he bowed and replied with, "Thank you, Sirs!"

"Ok, now that all this is settled, can we finally talk about why you are here, Sir?" Piccolo directed his question in a tone of seriousness toward Shin.

"Straight to the point are you, Piccolo?" Shin asked with a small smile on his face.

Piccolo just gave a small nod in reply as he crossed his arms and stood waiting for answers.

Shin nodded as well while all cheerfulness he had just shown disappeared in an instant and said, "This planet is home to a dangerously powerful being known as Majin Buu; a being that has been lying dormant for many millennia."

* * *

The Cell Junior known as Four touched down in the grounds of the Crane Dojo and dropped some "passengers" in the dirt as if they were sacks of rice flour. A beam of pink ki shot in his direction without warning, but Four easily batted it away with his right hand. The pink beam "safely" exploded in a neighboring pile of recently chopped wood and sent wood splinters in all directions.

"I guess you are still training your body after all," Three called from the entrance to the main building with a sinister smirk. His right index finger showed a faint pink glow.

"And I guess you are still acting before thinking!" Four replied with a sinister smirk of his own.

"I've brought some gifts for the Crane Brothers as promised," Four said pointing over his right shoulder to four unconscious men.

"And here I didn't think you cared about our plans anymore after being away for so long," Three said as he walked to see the "gifts" up close.

He took a good look and noted a red shark tattoo on each of the men before asking "So, what else have you been doing, brother?"

"Training alone mostly. What have you been up to…" Four paused in his response as he took a good look at his brother.

Four gazed at his brother with mild interest and noticed that Three had grown about an inch as the two brothers were no longer at the same height.

Three returned a similar gaze and noted that Four was shorter than him and seemed more "human" in appearance.

"So, both our bodies are changing in different ways?" Three piped up while extending his tail and swishing it in the air behind him. "Can you do this, brother?" he asked Four.

Four made some effort to do the same but his back appendage remained immobile regardless of his will to move it.

"For some reason I can't. But it doesn't matter does it?" Four asked feeling a little irritated over the inability to move his own tail.

"Maybe not, but that does seem to be an _imperfection_ my now shorter brother! Maybe if you had spent some time feasting, like I have, you'd also have grown and retained use of your own tail," Three said mockingly.

"Can we dispense with this nonsense and get on with why I came here?!" Four hissed with anger.

Three just grinned at his brother's displeasure for a few seconds more before turning around and yelling, "Shen! Tao! My brother is here with what you desired!"

Mere seconds later the Crane Hermit and Mercenary Tao appeared next to Three. Both martial artists were wearing ragged clothing that were singed in multiple areas with multiple red stains soaked into the torn fabrics.

"Ah! Master Four! We apologize for our appearance but Master Three has been pushing us hard as of late," Shen said as he and Tao bowed in respect.

" _I get more respect from humans than my own brother?! As infuriating as this is…I'll take it!"_ Four thought grudgingly and gave a quick nod while saying, "I don't care about appearances. Look behind me for you to use at your next meeting with a buyer."

Tao and Shen quickly walked over and inspected the unconscious men for a few moments. When satisfied with the results, Shen pulled out a whistle and blew into it creating a high pitched sound for all to hear around the dojo.

In seconds a dozen of the Crane's students appeared and stood huddled around the Crane Masters.

"Take these men inside the main building and make sure to bound and gag them. I don't want to listen to their wailing when they regain consciousness," Shen commanded to his men as the Crane students jumped to the task without hesitation and disappeared with their "guests" as quickly as they had appeared.

"So, Three tells me he's been "feasting." Have you had more incompetent humans to train, Master Shen?" Four asked with curiosity.

"Yes, unfortunate as it was to see my men be absorbed, Master Three demands perfection and I want the best of the best. We tend to send out word that we need new students every now and then. We'll get more later," Shen replied with a small smile.

"And have you increased your powers since I was last here?" Four asked amused with the response.

"Somewhat yes, but it will begin to improve vastly after tomorrow's meeting," Tao chimed in.

"That is good to hear-" Four began before he and Three felt Gohan's ascension to Super Saiyan 2 from the Lookout many miles away.

Tao and Shen also became aware of the energy explosion after recent training exercises with ki detection.

Both men looked at each other in shock as the weight of Gohan's power fell upon the group.

"This is the power that Goku's son has?" Tao asked trying to hold his composure.

"It's also near the power that Cell has if I'm not mistaken Masters Three and Four?" Shen said quickly but calmly.

Three just stared cold faced at the Crane Brothers, barely masking his anger and hatred and said with a wicked smile, "Yes. Father is indeed stronger than that brat!"

Tao and Shen couldn't help feeling nervous over crazed look on Three's face as he spoke.

Three added, "Tomorrow, you will milk the coming businessman for every zeni he owns, I will have another feast, and then you will have a Gravity Room accessible in your dojo by the next full moon."

" _Or else we will all be destroyed regardless of our original agreement!"_ Shen thought to himself. " _Clearly we are not making enough progress!"_

A loud knocking sound suddenly emanated from the front wooden door of the entrance to the Crane training area.

"It would appear we have received new recruits," Tao said as he started walking to the door and let them in.

"I would like to meet them as well. Tryouts begin now and I think only one will be allowed to join us…" Three said with a sadistic looking grin while his tail swished behind him.

Tao nodded in consent as he and Three went to meet with the prospective students.

Four remained with Shen and said, "I see my brother has found some amusement outside of plain destruction?"

"Yes," Shen replied a little sickened as screams of horror were heard in the distance. "This activity suits his needs perfectly."

"He and I are definitely changing in different ways. Well, once he has finished with the tryouts as he calls them, I'll take my leave," Four said as the screams subsided from many to only a few.

"Why not train with him? I thought he was an equal for you?" Shen asked with a perplexed look.

"If we trained together, we'd level your entire compound and bring attention to our enemies. Plus, he and I do not get along well and we might end up killing one another," Four replied with a look of anger in his eyes.

"Very well," Shen said as Tao and Three returned after closing the front wooden door and ensuring it was locked tight.

"Any survivors this time?" Shen asked curiously.

"I thought the guy who screamed the least was a good candidate but Three got greedy and decided that there would be no new students today," Tao replied without a hint of emotion in his voice.

"Pity," Shen said. "Well Tao, it seems that we should get cleaned up and take a few hours rest before tomorrow's big deal."

Tao only nodded in response and turned to look at The Cell Juniors for any further discussions.

"I'll take my leave now and see if I can locate more potential targets and buyers in case they are needed," Four said getting ready to leave.

"Brother, if you wish to grow stronger I suggest you work on your "tail" issue," Three said with a mocking undertone, "Or you might just fall behind."

Four gave his brother a quick glare before jumping into the air and flying slowly off to a western location.

Three just smiled wickedly after him and hissed, "If you become too weak to support our cause, I'll kill you myself _brother_."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Trying to get at least one maybe two more chapters out before the new year. Honestly, I'm looking forward to this year ending and starting fresh. Onward we go!


	18. Chapter 17

**Disc** **laimer**

All original content is owned by Akira Toriyama and his affiliates.

 **Chapter 17:**

"How is that possible? Wouldn't we have felt such a huge presence by now?" Piccolo asked with sweat forming on his forehead as the idea of another, stronger foe seemed ridiculous after the recent events.

"No, not since he has been lying dormant in a sealed cocoon buried under the earth's surface," Shin explained.

"Ok, so why has it never awoken then?" Gohan asked curiously. "With all our recent battles, wouldn't our power have disturbed him?"

"It's not that your surface battles would have shaken him awake. It's that the cocoon itself could rupture by a strong enough force that it will cause an issue," Shin explained. "The explosion of the planet itself might be enough to break the cocoon."

"So, you're saying that if Cell had won and destroyed the planet as he had originally planned, then Majin Buu could have been resurrected?" Piccolo asked fully concerned about the situation. " _Not to mention if Frieza had his way…"_

"That is correct. With his power being so strong, I'm sure it would have set off a strong enough reaction to release that creature," Shin said shuddering.

"Just how strong is Majin Buu?" Gohan asked.

"Sad to say that even at your current level, it would overpower you eventually," Shin said solemnly. "This being has almost unlimited energy and probably more power than you do."

"Wait! What? Then why the test?" Gohan asked feeling bewildered.

"Because we need your help in making sure that Majin Buu isn't resurrected," Shin replied.

"And who would want to that?" Piccolo asked.

"A powerful wizard who goes by the name Babidi has been trying to gather followers to hasten his plan to resurrect Majin Buu," Shin added in response. "And after your battle with Cell, I'm positive he will be on his way here."

"You think he has the ability to sense energy signals?" Gohan asked curiously.

"Not him but some of his followers and the ship he travels in. I'm sure he would know by now because even my subordinates told me about the power emanating from Earth after your fight with Cell. If we could feel the power of the fight from the Other World, imagine how far out it could be felt to the worlds near your planet," Shin explained.

"Ok, so if he's coming here and has supposedly powerful warriors at his disposal, why do you need someone with power at Gohan's level? Last we heard, Frieza and his empire were the biggest threat in the Universe and we dealt with his kind," Piccolo commented.

"Because we think that Babidi has control over the Demon King Dabura and his power is on par with Cell!" Shin replied.

"Wait! How do you know how strong Cell is?" Gohan questioned with an accusatory tone nobody was ready for.

Shin was taken aback from the sudden change in Gohan's voice and felt a little uncomfortable with it. " _It seems Gohan still has some unresolved issues with Cell even after defeating him in battle. Maybe I should avoid mentioning my meeting the creature…"_

"Actually, I spoke with King Yemma and King Kai regarding his strength and from what they told me, I believe Cell to have similar strength to Dabura," Shin replied coolly.

"And this Babidi, is he strong as well?" Piccolo asked uneasily as he realized the dangerous path the conversation was going with Gohan.

"Not physically but his magic is truly formidable," Shin cautioned.

Gohan seemed to be drawn back to the description of Majin Buu since he had no more questions about Cell. " _Glad he bought that half-truth._ "

" _I don't need to see any more of his power to convince me that I can't control this child._ " Shin thought with weariness.

"We also believe he has developed a way to bring Majin Buu back even if a planetary explosion didn't awaken him," Kibito added to the conversation. "Some sort of energy stealing device."

Gohan and Piccolo gave each other a concerned look and left Shin somewhat puzzled, "Have you experienced something like this device before?"

"Cell and some other androids used something similar to increase their own powers," Piccolo explained.

"How long until he arrives then, Sir?" Gohan asked trying to steer the conversation back to Majin Buu.

"That's something I do not know for sure," Shin said apprehensively. "That is why we came here to make sure we have some sort of defense in place."

"The last we knew of his whereabouts, he was on the far reaches of your North Galaxy so I would estimate several of your Earth months' time before he would arrive here," Kibito chimed in.

"Is there any way to destroy the cocoon and Majin Buu without waking him?" Piccolo asked.

"I don't really know of anyone strong enough to do so, at least at the present. Kibito and I also came here to retrieve the cocoon and take it back to the World of the Kais," Shin replied.

"So, you know where it's located?" Gohan asked eagerly.

"Well, yes and no. It has been a long time since I have visited this planet and the terrain of it has changed quite a bit," Shin explained.

"Just how old are you guys?!" Gohan blurted out in astonishment. Realizing his rudeness immediately, he clamped his mouth shut in a comic fashion and turned red in the face.

"I'm sorry Supreme Kai! Sir!" Piccolo quickly piped up on Gohan's behalf. "It seems the bad habits of his father shine through from time to time!"

" _Honestly Gohan! This is another reason you need to train with that form! You're still less reserved than usual when in that form!"_ Piccolo yelled telepathically to Gohan.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you Sirs!" Gohan said while bowing, his face a darker shade of red.

Shin and Kibito were taken back by the sudden outburst and couldn't help having a small laugh at the matter.

"Really, Gohan! Seeing how powerful you are and then being reassured of your youthfulness is really ironic and funny to some degree. It's alright to be curious like that!" Shin replied between chuckles.

Regaining his composure, Shin continued with, "Time does not affect us as much as it does mortal beings. Millions of your earth years will pass and we do not "age" much in appearance."

"So, what you are saying is that you'll need some time to locate the cocoon's exact position?" Piccolo asked trying to keep the conversation on track once again.

"Yes, that is correct. Bibidi could arrive while we search for it and I will need your help incase I'm wrong about his time of arrival," Shin replied.

"You don't need to worry Supreme Kai Sir," Gohan said with a smile. "I won't let Majin Buu be resurrected and I'll defeat Dabura with ease!"

"I appreciate your vote of confidence Gohan," Shin replied with a smile of his own. "Just don't get overconfident. I was able to sneak up on you and catch you off-guard for a few seconds."

"I agree with the Supreme Kai, Gohan," Piccolo added before Gohan could speak. "I know you feel more at home now that you've had time to properly achieve your new level of power, but I don't want you to relive those feelings you had when fighting Cell."

Gohan looked from Shin to Piccolo a little stunned but mostly ashamed as the memories of his cocky attitude surfaced in his mind. "I guess you're right, Piccolo. So, how can I keep myself from doing that again?"

"By doing what you did to control the Super Saiyan state and maintain it for as long as possible until it feels natural," Piccolo said with a smile.

"I'll do it but I know Mom won't approve," Gohan said as he remembered his reason for coming to the Lookout in the first place.

"Well, she won't approve of a lot of this going on so soon after Cell's defeat but we both knew there would always be a need to keep training," Piccolo said with a sigh.

"Now that we have a defensive plan in place, I feel I can breathe a little easier." Shin said with a smile. "Piccolo, would it be alright if Kibito and I used this Lookout as a temporary place of residence until we search for the cocoon?"

"Of course. I am aware that finding the cocoon is urgent but I suggest you rest before continuing," Piccolo replied assuredly.

"That is kind of you but time does grow short," Shin said as he prepared to leave.

" _Sir, I insist. I know it isn't my place to pry but I am telepathic like you are and I know exactly what you dealt with prior to coming here_ ," Piccolo said telepathically.

" _Why the quiet mind talk, Piccolo?"_ Shin replied to the mind link they opened.

" _Because I know that you know in his current state, if Gohan were to hear us mention that you dealt with Cell, it might push him into a rage."_ Piccolo replied with urgency.

Shin and Piccolo locked eyes briefly while everyone else just looked at them puzzled for a few minutes. "Alright, Piccolo. Kibito and I will rest up for a bit first. Your gaze could bring an entire civilization to their knees," Shin replied finally.

Gohan stifled a growing fit of giggles while a bead of sweat slid down Piccolo's forehead.

"Is there something funny about what I said?" Shin asked with confusion.

"That's a story for another time, Sir," Piccolo said trying to keep his temper in check before rounding on Gohan and saying with a sharp tone, "Gohan is still having trouble hiding those bad habits that he got from his father!"

Gohan couldn't contain his giggles and went into uncontrollable laughter while Piccolo realized what he just said and stormed off to another area of the Lookout, sat down, and began meditating without saying another word.

Trying to control the strange situation, Dende piped up and said, "I'll show you a room where you can rest, Supreme Kai Sir. It isn't fancy but it is more peaceful than what will be happening out here soon."

"Very well, Kibito and I will follow you," Shin said as he and Kibito eyed each other with looks of pure confusion on their faces.

Dende motioned for them to follow him, and the three walked towards the main building. As they entered the room, an angry Piccolo stood up and walked over to Gohan who was still slightly giggling.

"If you've got the energy to laugh I want you to make use of that ascended form!" Piccolo said with a sharp tone.

Gohan stopped laughing and shuddered at those words before replying in a confident tone, "Ok, Mr. Piccolo. I'm ready for it!"

"For starters, you're going to go to the base of Korin's Tower and climb up and down the tower at least 9,000 times both ways and no flying allowed!" Piccolo said.

Gohan was feeling a little less confident but figured that would be easy to start with, "Ok, Piccolo, you got it!"

"And you're only allowed to use your hands so no feet either!" Piccolo said with an evil grin on his face.

I'll also be checking in with Korin, so I'll know if you did it right or not!" Piccolo added.

Gohan's eagerness fell even more at the limits imposed on his training.

"I know you'll need to get back to your mom around dinner time so I suggest you get to climbing now because there's more to do after that!" Piccolo said as he read Gohan's thoughts.

Gohan reluctantly powered up and with a quick nod to Piccolo, he flew off the Lookout and descended to the ground below to start his next training regimen.

By the time the sun had begun setting in the sky, Gohan had climbed up and down Korin's Tower 9,001 times both ways using only his arm strength, completed 10,000 sit-ups and push-ups with the latter on his index fingers and then another 10,000 using only his tail, and shot hundreds of Masenko beams to the high heavens.

Piccolo told Gohan to concentrate and keep the beams as large as Gohan's own body while channeling the energy for long periods of time. After that and though he was still in his ascended Saiyan form, Gohan showed signs of fatigue as his clothes were soaked in sweat and he was breathing heavily.

"I guess my training wasn't harsh enough today since you're still in the ascended form," Piccolo said to Gohan with a stern voice. "We'll just have to up the intensity next time. Maybe it will reduce that Saiyan ego that runs through your veins even further."

"I'm sorry if I offended you Piccolo. I wasn't laughing at you personally," Gohan said apologetically after taking deep breaths.

"I was going to have you do all of this regardless, Gohan." Piccolo said with amusement on his face. "But I appreciate the apology."

"Um, Piccolo. Speaking of training, why didn't you want to tell the Supreme Kai about my other ability?" Gohan asked while swishing his tired golden tail for emphasis.

"I figured since you didn't say anything that you knew the reason why," Piccolo replied.

"Because it would be just as dangerous as Majin Buu being released until we're sure I've got it under control?" Gohan said with some bitterness.

"Yes. Sorry to say but for all we know, you'd destroy the earth and revive him in the process," Piccolo added with unease. "So, until we're sure, I don't want to get his hopes up."

"Ok, I see your point," Gohan said feeling a little upset.

"Wait, shouldn't we tell everyone else about this?" Gohan asked thinking more on the matter as he wiped sweat from his face.

Piccolo sighed and thought it over before replying with "Tomorrow I'll go to Kame House and get the word out. Your main focus will be on training yourself for now."

"And Vegeta?" Gohan asked with reservation.

"That's your secondary focus. If anyone can get through to him now, it will be you Gohan," Piccolo replied firmly.

"Why? Last time I saw him, we had an argument and I know it left him more unwilling than ever to help me out! Let alone everyone else!" Gohan exclaimed.

"I know but I'm sure you'll find a way to bring him around. You need him to get that Great Ape power under control and eventually we might need his power," Piccolo replied.

"He was proud of my desire to control my power but he also called me a coward for being afraid of using it! I don't understand how he thinks!" Gohan said in frustration.

Piccolo thought about it for a moment before replying with a small smile, "Maybe you can turn his ego against him. If nothing else, Vegeta's pride and ego are the two things that keep him going."

Gohan's face lit up at those words and a slight grin crept across his face. "You're right Piccolo. That might work!"

"Good, I'm glad you think so," Piccolo said smiling. "Go home and get some rest. Tomorrow you should go about your day as you would normally but keep in your ascended state as long as possible. I suggest you also find the time to meet with Vegeta tomorrow. The sooner you bring him around, the better. I'll contact you if anything important comes up."

"Ok, Piccolo." Gohan said as he smiled weakly before his ascended power gave out and Gohan reverted to his base form.

"I'd also take a quick dip in a freshwater lake before you get home. I'm sure your mom will have somethings to say if you don't…" Piccolo commented with concern.

"I hope she doesn't but we'll see how it goes," Gohan replied with a less than eager tone in his voice.

Piccolo looked at him curiously but before he could say anything Gohan gave a quick bow turned around and ran to fly off the Lookout while saying, "Tell everyone I said goodbye!"

The sky was filling with stars by the time Gohan arrived close enough to see that the lights were on at his house. Taking Piccolo's advice, Gohan took a deep breath and dove into the nearby lake. Feeling the rush of cold but refreshing water soak into his clothes and skin, Gohan swam underwater for a few minutes until he needed air and shot out of the water to land at the water's edge closest to his house.

Using the remaining reserves of his ki Gohan charged up his aura and dried himself in a matter of seconds. " _I think this will make me look clean and presentable enough. I'm not sorry for why I left but I hate to see Mom cry. Maybe she's had time to think over what I said…or maybe she's still set in her own ways…_ "

After considering his mother's possible reactions, Gohan decided to walk to his house to prepare himself even more for any onslaught of yelling from his mom. As he approached the front door, Gohan noticed that it was still open the way he had left it earlier in the day. He smelled the aroma of food and felt the pangs of hunger in his stomach. But at the same time Gohan didn't care much for eating. Slowly, Gohan pushed open the door and stepped into the living room.

"Mom? I'm back!" Gohan called a little uneasy.

There was no response for several moments and Gohan was beginning to worry when Chi-Chi's voice called out from the kitchen. "I've just finished making dinner, Gohan. Come sit down and we'll eat." It was slightly muffled and almost emotionless.

" _That doesn't sound unlike Mom but she sure isn't overly enthusiastic either,"_ Gohan thought to himself as he entered the kitchen.

The table was piled high with an assortment of cooked meats and vegetables and a large bowl of rice. Chi-Chi stood over the sink washing some dishes with her back turned to Gohan as he entered the room.

Gohan's mind began to whirl with what he should do or even say. " _This is weird even for Mom. Do I sit down? Do I say anything?"_

The sound of dishes being scrubbed amidst running water were the only noises for several minutes as Gohan just stood watching his mom and waiting for a shout of anger or maybe for her to turn around and embrace him in her arms. Instead, she just kept washing dishes without saying a word.

Finally, Gohan couldn't take the silence anymore as he walked over to his mom and tapped her gently on her back. "Mom?" He said softly.

Chi-Chi paused with cleaning a large pot and turned around to see her son not sporting any golden hair or an angry scowl on his but rather looking at her with concern in his onyx eyes.

Immediately, Gohan wrapped his arms around her and gave her a hug. Chi-Chi's eyes were watery and puffy while her face was tear stained. Without thinking, she also wrapped her arms around Gohan and they stood there embraced in a hug with food waiting for Gohan to eat it, and dishes waiting for Chi-Chi to clean them.

After what seemed like a long time, Chi-Chi finally spoke up, "The food is getting cold, Gohan. Let's sit down to eat."

Gohan nodded and turned to go sit down in his seat. Chi-Chi wiped additional water running from her eyes before she moved to sit down across the table from him.

When Chi-Chi had more control over herself she said, "Before we eat, I have one question to ask you."

Gohan felt a little nervous about what it might be. " _I'm sure she's going to ask me about the monster or to make a choice between school and martial arts!"_

"Will you still go to the Orange Star Middle School when classes start up?" Chi-Chi asked in an apprehensive voice.

Gohan was taken aback by such a simple question. " _That's surprisingly simple! Maybe she's ok with everything now?"_

Gohan gave her a smile and replied with "Yes, of course I will Mom! Why wouldn't I?"

Chi-Chi just smiled back at him and said, "Ok, I just wanted to make sure you still wanted to."

Gohan returned another smile of his own and said, "After all the trouble you went through finding a good school, I couldn't say no to it."

Any tension the two had previously felt melted away as they ate the feast in front of them. No other thoughts than the need to fill up on such delicious food came to mind.

"When will that man be here?" an annoyed Tao said as he paced back and forth across the floor of the Crane Dojo.

"I have a mind to just tell Master Three to gobble him up and be done with it!" Tao continued with his rant while Shen just sat patiently on the floor sipping some hot tea.

Just in front of him, a short legged table had several empty cups and a big tea kettle sitting on top. Several cushions lay on the floor near the table waiting for guests to sit on them.

"Patience brother. He still has several more minutes before he is considered late. You're too worked up over it. We made our point clearly last time so he will show for sure," Shen said between sips.

A sudden loud knock at the front doors of the main dojo erupted around the floor. "And it seems I am correct." Shen said as he got to his feet and began walking to the front door. "Let us greet our guests once more."

Tao followed behind Shen as his older brother called out, "Please come in. The door is open."

The short and well-to-do man from before entered with four new and tall body guards following behind. All of them were dressed in black suits and black fedora hats.

Tao took note of how menacing each bodyguard looked. " _It appears that Master Three has not shown himself to them just yet. I expect their demeanor to change drastically in the next few minutes."_

Shen picked up on Tao's thoughts as he led the guests to sit on the cushions in the dojo and replied with " _Indeed. Master Three decided to spy on them from afar until after we finish our business._ "

"Welcome back!" Shen said as he sat down opposite the table of the guests while Tao went to stand behind him as in the previous meeting.

"I believe you have brought what you promised for our 'clean up' efforts?" Shen continued without giving the short chubby man a chance to speak.

He paused slightly before rummaging in his pocket for a small white capsule.

"This has all the money we agreed on," he said shakily before tossing it to Shen.

Shen caught it without blinking an eye and responded with, "We will of course make sure that what you gave us is correct."

Shen then clicked the top button and tossed the capsule off to his right side. A small puff of smoke erupted and as it cleared, zeni stacked in the shape of a pyramid appeared reaching several feet in height and width.

Tao walked over without a word and inspected the amount of zeni for several minutes. The plump man sat uncomfortably sweating on the floor until Tao finished.

"It appears to be in order." Tao commented before making a sharp whistle noise into the air.

Several of the Crane students appeared in a flash with the now semiconscious members of the Red Shark gang bound and gagged and deposited them behind the men in suits. They worked tirelessly to collect all the bills and as quickly as they arrived, the Crane students disappeared again.

All remaining eyes fell upon the Red Shark gang members and the short businessman seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

"It seems you assassins have also delivered on your part of the bargain! Reducing the influence of these crooks will be of great benefits to my business! It may have cost me a fortune but I know it will be worth it!" The short man exclaimed as he got up to look over the imprisoned men before continuing, "It even looks like these are-"

He stopped short as he got a quick look at them and his jovial face turned sour in an instant.

"Are you trying to swindle me after all that bravado from before?!" He rounded on Shen and Tao without caring about how strong they were as compared to him. "You said you would deliver me high profile members! Where is their leader?!"

Shen continued to sip his tea slowly without any sense of urgency before replying to the now red faced man, "We agreed to giving you men deemed of high importance. These men, including those who were killed in West City roughly a week ago, were deemed dangerous. They carried highly dangerous explosives with them after all. We were sure that they were valuable to you dead or alive."

"Well, the way I figured it, you were to give me the big guys! Their bosses or the head guy running the show! I want my money back! Men!" the short man shouted while snapping his right index finger and thumb.

Immediately his four guards clicked open capsules of their own and in the small puffs of smoke there appeared loaded Tommy guns. The guards quickly grabbed at the guns with ease and aimed the barrels right at Shen. Shen only replied with continued interest in his hot tea.

"Gentlemen, must we come to this negotiation tactic so soon? I was half hoping to continue our business arrangement as last time didn't go so well for you little man," Shen said condescendingly as he nearly finished sipping his cup.

One guard pulled the trigger briefly on his gun as a couple of bullets smashed the tea kettle into various pieces.

Tao just stood watching and waiting for the ensuing carnage with a small grin crossing his face. It was rare to see his older brother get worked up and retaliate.

Shen stopped sipping his tea and eyed the men through his sunglasses with a glare very few men saw and lived to tell about.

He replied with a deadly calm voice. "I see. Well, I'll take satisfaction in watching your demise but first the one who dared to destroy my hundred year old tea set-"

Before any of the guards or their boss could blink, Shen jumped off his cushion and rammed his right knee into the guard stupid enough to shatter his tea kettle. Shen's right knee slammed so hard into the guard's face that he was flown across the dojo floor, out the open front door of the dojo, bounced across the ground like a rock skipping across water, and finally smacked hard against the wall near the gated entrance of the entire Crane grounds. He collapsed on the grass with all his bones shattered.

The other remaining guards and their boss just stared at Shen stunned and unable to make a move as Shen quickly landed back behind his table after doing a back flip. "Now about your demises. Master Three, when you are ready!" The Crane Hermit called out loud.

For several minutes nothing happened and the men in suits just stared at both the Crane Brothers with bewildered and shocked eyes.

Shen and Tao just stood and watched with patience as a blue blur shot in from the front entrance of the dojo and quickly impaled one of the tall guards with its tail. Horror stricken, the other guards watched fearfully as in mere seconds the man shriveled up and seemed to melt like wax as his entire being was sucked into the noticeably long and hungry tail of Three's blue body. The man's initial screams turned to moans of pain and then faded into nothing as only the clothes he wore were left in a pile on the floor.

Three wasted no time in making meals of the remaining "tough guys." Multiple gunshots, screams of agony, and walls covered with bullet holes later; all of the guests were absorbed into Three's body. His face was contorted into a grin of pure evil as his eyes fell over the helpless Red Shark members who had just been awoken from all the noise. Still bound and gagged, their screams were muffled and would have been comical in a less threatening environment.

"That was just an appetizer. I'd prefer to have seconds now if you don't mind," Three said eagerly.

Shen nodded and said in an uncaring voice, "I think we have all that we need now to take things to the next step. They're all yours."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

So, what will next year bring?


	19. Chapter 18

**Disc** **laimer**

All original content is owned by Akira Toriyama and his affiliates.

 **Chapter 18:**

Gohan awoke the next morning to the aroma of food wafting up from the kitchen and he was at the kitchen table mere seconds later while Chi-Chi finished putting the food on the table.

"I was just about to call you! Go ahead and dig in," she said with a smile as Gohan entered the kitchen still in his pajamas, his mouth watering, and brown tail swishing in eager anticipation for the piles of bacon, pancakes, and eggs greeting his eyes.

"Thanks Mom!" Gohan replied before taking fork in hand and digging into the meal in front of him.

"So, what are your plans to do today?" Chi-Chi asked cautiously after sometime of enjoying their breakfast.

" _Oh, no! I already forgot I'd eventually have to tell Mom about the new threat! I guess I can avoid it a little longer, though. I don't want to start fighting with her again!"_ Gohan thought to himself between some additional bites he took to stall for a decent answer.

"Well, I was hoping to go see Bulma right after breakfast," Gohan replied finally after swallowing a big mouthful of pancakes.

"Oh, ok. Well, just make sure you get cleaned and dressed before you go," Chi-Chi said in return.

" _Wait! Mom's ok with it just like that?!_ " Gohan thought while feeling shocked at her surprisingly calm response.

"Um, sure thing Mom," Gohan said as he finished a fourth plate of food and reached for his fifth helping of a dwindling food pile.

"I'll do some more studying when I come home," Gohan added.

Chi-Chi just smiled and said, "I trust you Gohan. You don't need to rush since you have time before the classes start."

They finished eating in silence and before long Gohan felt full, thanked his mom for the meal, and he excused himself to go get dressed.

" _Should I be happy or concerned that Mom isn't arguing with me? This is just too weird and kind of uncomfortable_ ," Gohan thought to himself as he undressed and began searching through his dresser for clean clothes.

Gohan's eyes came across his gi and he began having second thoughts about hiding the looming threat from his mom. _"I've got to make sure she won't freak out when I tell her about it. I guess, I should wear this and see if maybe Mom can be eased into it."_

Gohan quickly changed into his purple gi and cleaned himself before returning to the kitchen to find Chi-Chi already doing the dishes.

"Ok, Mom. I'm dressed. I'll be back for lunch if that's ok?" Gohan asked.

Chi-Chi never turned around while she said, "Like I said earlier, take all the time you need. Just be home before dark. Ok?"

Gohan replied with an uncertain "Ok. Thanks Mom!" before walking out the front door and flying off toward Capsule Corporation.

" _Mom never asked why I wanted to go see Bulma,"_ Gohan thought feeling both relieved and still very concerned about Chi-Chi's turnabout behavior.

" _Is she really ok? Or maybe Mom is scared of me? Ah! I almost forgot!_ " Gohan quickly reached inside himself and pulled out his Super Saiyan power while he flew. As gold energy replaced his white aura, his speed increased.

Gohan dug deeper and worked to bring out his second level of power. " _I've got to get used to changing in and out of this form quickly and not just while I'm standing around! Rrgh! This is a little harder to do!"_

Gohan struggled for several seconds more before electricity began sparking all around his body and his hair spiked even more.

"AUGHH!" Gohan screamed as the inner energy exploded around him and he felt the intense surge of energy flowing throughout his body once again. Gohan had slowed his flight considerably as he focused more on his energy. Big puffy clouds in the vicinity were blown apart and Gohan was left floating in the middle of a clear sky.

"I need to keep myself in control more when I do that!" Gohan said to himself angrily. "What if those clouds were birds or worse a passing airplane?!"

Taking a few deep breaths and calming himself, Gohan relaxed his mind and cooled down the angry feeling he just experienced.

"Ok, that's better! Off I go!" Gohan said aloud as he resumed his flight to Capsule Corporation.

As Gohan landed at Capsule Corporation, he was greeted with a scene of pandemonium. Dozens of people dressed in lab coats were running mad in various directions. Though many weren't completely accustomed to flying warriors, they took little notice of his descent since their current affairs were more pressing.

"The boss is really irritated today!" Gohan overheard one guy shouting several feet in front of where he landed.

"I know but at the same time she's overly excited too!" A frazzled female scientist shouted next to him.

"It's like she can't decide whether to be happy or angry! I'm positive she's bipolar or something!" Another lady piped up as the trio darted frantically towards the main building.

Gohan just stood amidst the commotion puzzled over what to do or think until he heard a familiar lady voice call his name from behind.

"Oh Gohan! Over here sweetie!" It was Bulma's Mom calling with her ever persistent closed eyes and innocent smile. Gohan returned a wave and smile of his own as he walked over to greet her.

"Hello, Mrs. Briefs!" Gohan piped up cheerfully as he approached her.

"Hello, Gohan! It's good to see you again so soon!" Mrs. Briefs replied. "I see you're still trying out that new hairdo that Vegeta and your dad had been sporting!"

Gohan looked at her with a confused expression, "Um, Mrs. Briefs it's actually a…genetic thing. Didn't Bulma tell you?"

"No, she didn't. I had no idea you or your dad were really blonds! What with your dad always having black hair and your mom too…you sure you didn't just bleach it and dress it up with a lot of hairspray dear?" Mrs. Briefs questioned further.

"Umm," Gohan began, completely lost for words over her misunderstanding of the Saiyan genes.

"Say, speaking of Bulma, can I talk to her? It's really important!" Gohan asked trying to steer the conversation to his reason for visiting.

"I'll take you to her but goodness is she in a foul temper today! Even her dad won't go near her and with Trunks fussing so much right now it's a wonder anyone is getting anything done around here!" Mrs. Briefs replied as she turned around and motioned for Gohan to follow her.

"Maybe I can help," Gohan said as he followed her through the doors of the main building.

" _I wonder what's got her so worked up?_ " Gohan thought as he walked past various scientists running to and fro. Some were constantly looking down at their notes in hand miraculously avoiding collisions with one-another, while others rushed around sweating profusely as they carried heavy pieces of metal sheets, pipes, and assortments of wiring and cables in hand.

" _Are they_ _building something really big?"_ He wondered.

"Ah. Here we are Gohan," Mrs. Briefs said as she cut his thoughts with their abrupt stop at the entrance to Bulma's main lab.

"I'll go get you some tea and cookies. Maybe that will ease my daughter's temper too," She continued and pointed to a screen-intercom combination with a keyboard on the side of the door. "Just shout into this intercom over here after you push the big green button and let her know you're here. Hopefully she won't give you too much trouble. Back in a jiffy!"

Before Gohan could say anything in response Mrs. Briefs was off down the hall humming happily to get some snacks.

"Bulma's Mom is always so nice but she really is a bit odd sometimes!" Gohan said to himself with a nervous chuckle.

Using her instructions, Gohan walked over to the keyboard and pushed the big green button and said, "Hey Bulma! It's me, Gohan! I'm sorry if I'm bothering you but I really need to speak to you!"

A few moments of silence passed as he stood by the door, tail swishing to and fro, and waiting patiently for her response. Instead of receiving a shout from the intercom, the big door suddenly slid open and a white coated blur rushed at Gohan and gave him a big hug.

"Oh Gohan! I'm so glad you're here! Can you please help me out first? Trunks is throwing a huge fit and I've already lost a few of my nanny robots because of it! Please, please, please?!" A frantic Bulma said to Gohan who found his face in a less than comfortable position on her chest. It turned redder by the second.

"Ok Bulma! I can help! Can you let me go, now? I've already been suffocated by Mom enough as it is!" Gohan said in reply.

"Ah! Sorry!" Bulma said as she let go and stepped back to give Gohan some space. She got a good look at him at the same time he got a good look at her.

"What's with your hair?" they both said at the same time to each other.

Gohan noticed that her hair had been singed in various places and standing up in all directions as if she had been electrically charged.

"I'm training my, uh, Super Saiyan 2 form," Gohan replied first. "What about you?"

"Is that what it looks like? Wow! You look so much more…menacing!" Bulma replied with uncertainty.

"I didn't mean to scare you with it Bulma," Gohan said with an apologetic smile. "But when I take down crooks again, I'll remember that."

"It's ok. I'm just a nervous wreck today," Bulma replied taking a few moments to relax. "I've been trying to work on a huge project that was literally dropped on my doorstep last night while handling an angry baby who decided today was the day he'd start doing those energy blasts you guys are so good with!"

Gohan just looked at her while narrowing his eyes in seriousness and said, "Ok, I'll take care of Trunks until you can get a break. Where is he?"

Bulma was taken back a bit by Gohan's mature response but said in response, "He's in his room-" Bulma began before a loud explosion emanated from Trunks' room in the floor above them. The explosion shook the ground and Gohan caught Bulma as she fell to her knees. After seeing that she was alright, Gohan had taken the explosion as a sign to rush up there and left Bulma staring at thin air for a few seconds.

"Urrgh, Vegeta! You jerk! This is all your fault!" Bulma shouted as she slammed her fists into the floor several times before getting back to her feet.

"I brought some tea and cookies for Gohan!" A high pitched female voice rang out from behind Bulma carrying a tray of snacks.

"Take them upstairs, Mom! Gohan just went to check on Trunks!" Bulma shouted to her approaching mother.

"Is that who was making a ruckus? I always thought Gohan to be such a gentleman," Mrs. Briefs commented in confusion.

"It wasn't Gohan! That was Trunks!" Bulma said growing more annoyed by the second.

"Trunks? But he's just a baby. I bet it was Vegeta throwing another temper," Mrs. Briefs said while getting huffy. "That man really needs a vacation or something. Why don't you two go out of town for a few weeks?"

"Mom! I don't care about that egotistical and insensitive jerk right now! I've got a lot of work to do so if you want to, why don't you just go upstairs, get yourself blown up by your grandson, and I'll bring you back to life next year!" Bulma roared at her mom in anger before stomping back in to the lab and shutting the door behind her.

Shocked by her daughter's attitude but shrugging it off as another typical day Mrs. Briefs walked past the lab with the tray of snacks in hand while saying, "Honestly, a vacation is exactly what she needs. Bulma really does work too hard."

* * *

Entering Trunks' room, Gohan immediately received a small blast to his face that would have obliterated any other human on the planet. His aura easily blocked the incoming blast and cancelled it out.

Trying to act as if it were a normal day, Gohan shouted cheerfully, "Hiya Trunks! When did you get so strong?"

Trunks had been sitting in his now heavily damaged crib crying loudly with several robotic corpses piled in disarray all around it. Many robotic limbs and torsos littered the ground and some were dangling from a few basketball-sized holes in the wall and windows behind Trunks.

" _Yeesh! I'm glad I came when I did! What the heck got him so fired up?!_ " Gohan thought as he took in the charred walls and the war zone of robotic pieces at his feet.

Tiny balls of Ki shone brightly along the palms of Trunks' tiny hands and were moments from erupting as so many had before when he heard Gohan's voice and opened his eyes to see the older boy walking towards him with a smile on his face.

Trunks' crying slowed to choked sobs as he eyed Gohan with caution.

"Hey, little guy! I know I look a little different but it's me, Gohan! You want to play with this?" Gohan asked as he willed his golden tail to swish around and tap lightly on the baby's forehead.

Trunks slowly began to giggle and relax as he stretched his arms out to be picked up. Gohan obliged and sat down on the tiny crib mattress while placing Trunks in his lap.

All anger and unhappiness in the baby vanished as Trunks played with Gohan's tail and remained amused with the appendage for a long time.

Bulma's mom came into the room sometime after the fits died down and nearly tripped over the piles of robotic limbs.

"Well, I guess Bulma was right! Trunks broke all of his toys! I'm not sure if he takes more after his dad or his grandfather!" She said with amusement.

"Um, speaking of his dad, do you know where I can find Vegeta?" Gohan asked over the happy babbling baby.

Trunks stopped playing with Gohan's tail instantly and went into another fit of rage as a white aura enveloped his tiny body. Gohan acted instinctively and enveloped his own electric crackling Ki around him and the baby.

A sudden explosion of white erupted from Trunks and nearly sent Mrs. Briefs falling backward on her rear as the ground shook again.

Slowly the light faded and she was left staring at Gohan holding a seemingly unconscious baby Trunks in his arms, golden light and electricity flashing rapidly around them both.

"Oh my!" Mr. Briefs exclaimed while still surprisingly holding onto a tray of completely signed cookies. The cups of tea had flown behind her and crashed against the wall.

"I think I know part of the problem now," Gohan replied with a sigh as his flashing aura slowly vanished and he asked with concern, "Are you ok Mrs. Briefs?"

"I'm just fine! Wow, you are strong just like your father!" She replied smiling cheerfully as if nothing had happened.

"Uh, thanks!" Gohan said a little surprised at her easy acceptance of nearly being blown away.

"Well, I'm not sure what happened between his father and Bulma. You'll have to ask Bulma when she comes up." Mrs. Briefs said. "Oh! Where are my manners! Here I brought you a tray of snacks and I haven't even offered them to you!"

"Here you go!" She said as she placed the tray of crisp cookies on the torso of one broken robot near the crib. "Maybe Trunks will like some too! I've got to go make some food for the busy workers, so I'll come back later! Thanks so much for babysitting Trunks!"

With that said, she was out the door before Gohan could once again utter a sound. As he looked down at Trunks happily asleep in his arms, Gohan began to wonder about his predicament. " _Maybe she is scared out of her wits after all!"_

Sighing with some relief Gohan thought to himself, " _Ah, I guess I should get used to watching Trunks after this tantrum. Plus, it won't be long before he has a playmate doing something similar."_

As Trunks dozed, Gohan used the quiet time to try and meditate and focus on maintaining his ascended state. Even though he hadn't exerted himself too much, Gohan could feel his body relaxing and becoming at peace. It wanted to release something it didn't feel it needed at the time.

As he spent time concentrating to hold his ascended state; he felt and smelled someone approaching from outside.

Bulma entered the room and without opening his eyes Gohan held out the sleeping baby while replying softly, "Hey Bulma! Trunks fell asleep!"

Shocked but not totally surprised at Gohan's sixth sense, she took Trunks in her hands and said, "Thank you so much Gohan! You are a lifesaver for sure! I'll put him on my bed and then we can talk."

Gohan slowly opened his eyes and got to his feet as Bulma turned to take Trunks to her bedroom. A few minutes later she returned to the "war zone" and said, "Ok. What did you need to talk to me about?"

"I actually really needed to see Vegeta. I need to tell him something important," Gohan said with any hint of his usual cheeriness gone.

Bulma took a deep breath and sighed before replying, "Gohan, I wish I could help you with that but Vegeta's not here."

"Oh, did he go somewhere to train?" Gohan asked curiously. "Trunks was really upset when I accidentally mentioned his name."

"Yeah, you could say that!" Bulma replied getting teary eyed. "He took the spaceship and flew off into space without much more than a goodbye!"

"What?! Why?!" Gohan asked shocked.

Bulma's eyes began to water more as she replied sadly "Well, don't take this as me blaming you Gohan, but I think he left because of you."

* * *

Piccolo arrived at Kame House at just about the same time Gohan had arrived at Bulma's house.

"Woo-hoo-hoo! Yeah baby, shake that money maker for me!" Master Roshi called from inside his house.

" _Forget Saiyan eating habits being disgusting, human habits are leagues below that when this man is around!"_ Piccolo thought to himself in disgust as he approached the front door and knocked.

"Hold yer horses! I'm coming! I'm coming!" Maser Roshi hollered as he turned off the tv program he was watching and walked to open the door. "Can't an old guy get some peace and quiet-"

He stopped when he saw Piccolo standing in the open doorway. "Eh? Piccolo? What brings you to the home of this dirty old man?"

"Well, at least your honest Master Roshi," Piccolo replied with an amused grin.

"I'm several centuries old by now, and I'd still like to live a little while I'm here. What do you need?" Master Roshi replied back with a coy smile.

"I need to talk with Krillin and Tien. Do you know where they are?" Piccolo asked with a quick change in tone.

"No, sorry. After the party, Krillin disappeared with Android 18 and Tien went hiking into the mountains up north with Chiaotzu," Roshi explained with playing with his beard in thought. "Oh and if you're asking about Yamcha, I think he's trying to get back into baseball."

"If there is any way you can get in contact with them, I need you to do so as quickly as you can," Piccolo said feeling exasperated.

" _I should've guessed something like this would happen. And Dende is still learning how to find people he's not familiar with. Thankfully Gohan is with us on this!"_ Piccolo thought to himself in annoyance.

"I will Piccolo. You needn't worry about it," Master Roshi said while sensing the urgency in Piccolo's voice.

"Alright, I guess I have no choice but to wait for them to contact you for the time being," Piccolo replied slightly frustrated, "I'll be going now."

"Wait a minute, Piccolo. I may be old but I'm not stupid. At least bring me up to speed on it so I can relay the message," Master Roshi inquired with an air of seriousness.

Piccolo sighed and said, "To put it simply, the earth may have another threat to deal with."

"I see," Master Roshi replied. "Well, I've been trying to get myself back into shape with all these young people that keep surpassing me. I see this as a perfect opportunity to try a little harder until I can get in touch with anybody. Give me the full story, we've got time anyway."

"I really need to get back to the Lookout," Piccolo replied getting antsy.

"Ok, ok. If you let me get a few things, I'll accompany you there. I think it's time I visited the Lookout for myself," Master Roshi said briskly as he walked back into his house.

Piccolo was left in stunned silence while Master Roshi went about his house gathering what he wanted to bring with him: clothes, food, medicine, and some magazines of sorts.

"Okay ready!" Master Roshi said as he returned to the front door minutes later wearing his old black combat uniform. "Turtle should be fine for a while on his own."

"And how are you going to get there? Last I checked you haven't ever taught yourself to fly," Piccolo commented grumpily.

"Well, maybe you can teach this old hermit how to! I'm riding with you of course!" Master Roshi replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Wait! I'm not some vehicle or animal you can just hop on like that!" Piccolo replied angrily.

"Would you prefer I went and got a saddle then?" Master Roshi replied matter-of-factly. "Come on! If you're in such a hurry, let's go! I'll ride on your back!"

Piccolo sweat dropped and growled in protest, "That's not going to happen!"

"Ok, fine. I'll teach you a few tricks of my own if you help me learn somethings too!" Master Roshi said exasperated. "And yes I'm aware that you know the Mafuba so that's not what I mean."

Sighing Piccolo replied with, "Alright! Fine! But this is a ONE TIME deal only!" and obliging Master Roshi's demand, Piccolo squatted down to let Roshi climb on his shoulders and seconds later they were off to the Lookout.

* * *

"So, Vegeta left because of my power?" Gohan asked still shocked at the realization.

"I'm positive that's why," Bulma replied sadly. "I know how much it meant for him to be the strongest warrior, but I thought with his recent change in attitude that he had given up on it. I'm sure he even started to show some interest in Trunks like a father should."

"Vegeta, acting like a father for real?" Gohan asked dumbfounded.

"Well, he's not father of the year material since he'd only stand across the room in a grumpy mood and occasionally shoot a glance at me taking care of Trunks," Bulma admitted. "But I noticed that Trunks seemed happy to just be in the same room with Vegeta after I would leave the two of them alone for a couple hours at a time."

"Now that I think about it more, Future Trunks being killed really did change something in Vegeta," Gohan commented. "I just wish his ego had deflated a bit as well. When did he leave?"

"Last night of all times! Just as soon as I sealed a deal for one of the greatest inventions ever made here!" Bulma yelled in anger. "I should've known better when I heard him shout 'I'll show them both!' before the ship's engine started up and he was gone!"

Gohan just stared at her feeling guilty about it. "I'm sorry if I caused all of this Bulma."

"It's not your fault Gohan. Really," Bulma replied gently. "I'm sure he'll come around and return when he's ready. You'll just have to train without him for the time being."

"I'd rather he were here for more than just training but I guess I have no choice but to wait for that kind of training…" Gohan said as he trailed off thinking hard.

"Um, Bulma? Can you help me with something I just thought of?" Gohan said as a lightbulb went off in his head.

"Ok, what do you need?" She replied.

"I need something to imitate a full moon so I can train myself with my _other_ ability," Gohan said while swishing his tail to emphasize his point.

"Well, the only thing that might work is if we used Krillin's head and hypnosis…" Bulma thought trailing off.

"Wait! Where are you going to train if I do come up with something?" She asked a little afraid.

"In the time chamber of course!" Gohan replied with annoyance. "I know it's dangerous to do on Earth!"

"Ah, right! I forgot! Well, I could create miniature versions of the sun and moon with the same luminosity to reflect off the moon for you…" She continued into thought trying to come up with ideas.

"I know it might take you some time to do but if Vegeta disappears for months, I know you'd come up with a quicker solution," Gohan said.

"Yes, I could for sure. And you'd want something that lasts for more than a few days out of the month," Bulma added. "Ok, I'll work on something if you do me a big favor in the meantime."

"You want me to watch Trunks?" Gohan asked smiling.

"You are a smart boy for sure!" Bulma replied happily. "Not a lot just whenever I really need help like I do today!"

A sudden and loud boom erupted from downstairs catching them both off-guard. It was followed by multiple screams of pain and frustration.

"Or maybe it would best if you hung around a little longer today and helped out. Lunch is on me for sure," Bulma said giving Gohan a grin while one of her eyes began to twitch in frustration.

"Uh, sure thing Bulma. I'll just do some light training up here and keep an eye on Trunks," Gohan replied with a nervous smile. "What are they working on anyway?"

Loud clangs and ground shakes emanated from downstairs as Bulma pulled out a small radio receiver and roared into it, "If you are having trouble ask me for help! Don't do it all alone!"

A timid voice came over the radio and replied, "Yes Ma'am. Um, we do need it now actually!"

"Why didn't you tell me before breaking my home?!" Bulma yelled in anger once more before giving a quick smile to Gohan and saying "It's a gravity room and spaceship for a new and wealthy client of mine named Ken Siru. It seems weighted training to the extreme is becoming a fad now."

"We didn't want to disturb you!" The voice replied frantically.

Bulma sighed and shouted back "Alright, I'm coming! Don't do anything else until I get there!"

Gohan watched nervously as she then stormed off down the hallway while yelling into the receiver "If you break one more thing, I'll be sure that my husband fires you for me!"

* * *

Sometime after a hectic morning of trying to keep Trunks asleep and getting a few bites of lunch in, Gohan found himself flying towards his house with Trunks in his arms giggling happily.

" _I should've known it would be hard to train and keep Trunks happy while Bulma's temper is going wild!"_ Gohan thought sighing aloud. " _Trunks blowing up her bedroom was one thing, but her colleagues accidentally putting too much power into the new machine and exploding it really set off the fireworks! I wonder if she really will have Vegeta attack them. Her anger is punishment enough!"_

"So much for a full day of training, Trunks!" Gohan said feeling dejected. "I wonder when your house will be fixed good as new?"

Trunks only replied in happy baby gibberish as he watched the earth below.

"Maybe having Mom watch you for the next few days, with some help from me, will be a good thing for everybody," Gohan said trying to be cheerful as Trunks continued watching the world below him zoom by and giggled more.

"I'm so glad I could get her on the phone before I left. Mom seemed out of breath for some reason. Maybe she took a hike to get food again," Gohan mused aloud as the two approached his house.

Gohan slowed his flight and descended to the ground just as Chi-Chi walked out the front door of the house.

"Hi Mom! Bulma sent me several capsules of baby supplies and food for us!" Gohan called out to her as she approached.

"Well, that was nice of her! I guess we'll have plenty of food for him!" Chi-Chi said smiling.

" _This is weird! Mom hasn't said a word about my hair or my gi!"_ Gohan thought to himself in surprise.

"Did you go for hike today Mom?" Gohan asked as he let Trunks stand on the grass between them and showed Chi-Chi the capsules. He got a good look at her and noticed that her face was sweaty and her hair was out of its usual tidy bun.

"No. I was actually chopping some firewood and cleaning the house for our little guest here! How's the little guy today?" Chi-Chi said turning her attention to Trunks who just smiled up at her.

"Oh, ok. Is there anything else you need?" Gohan asked still a little suspicious of how sweaty she looked for something that even Chi-Chi could do with ease.

"One thing I'll need is for you to keep an eye on Trunks for a little bit longer. I'm going to go clean myself before I start getting dinner prepped," Chi-Chi replied while she watched an amused Trunks spot a yellow butterfly floating nearby the trio and try to catch it with his hands. "After I'm done why don't you go ahead and use this nice day to train outside or go explore the woods around us like you enjoy. Just stay nearby in case I need some help,"

"Uh, sure thing Mom. I'll stick around the front yard for a little while then," Gohan replied still curious to his Mom's peculiar behavior.

"Great! I'll be back in a little bit then!" Chi-Chi replied as she turned around and walked back into the house.

Gohan just stared at her back and continued to feel unnerved by her recent behavior. " _What is going on with her to be so different after just one day?"_

His thoughts were cut short as he heard a tiny baby squeal a couple yards away. Gohan snapped his head in the direction and saw Trunks happily bounding after the butterfly floating just out of his grasp.

"Ah! I won't make much of a babysitter if I don't keep an eye on him! Hold up Trunks!" Gohan called to the baby as he quickly walked over to watch him play.

Sometime later, Gohan sat in the grass watching as Trunks pushed his little legs to chase after a variety of butterflies all around them.

" _So long as we don't mention Vegeta around him this will be easy to do!"_ Gohan thought with a smirk.

"Ok Gohan, I'm done! Chi-Chi called as she emerged from the house in her clean, purple outfit and walked toward the boys. "I'll take Trunks inside and let him play with your old baby toys for a while."

Chi-Chi turned her attention to Trunks, "Come on Trunks, your mommy asked Aunt Chi-Chi to watch you for a little while. Maybe we can call her tonight and say hello!" Trunks turned to look at her with a smile and nodded happily while stretching his arms out to be picked up.

As Chi-Chi took Trunks into the house Gohan mused to himself while chuckling, "Heh, maybe Mom's just overly happy to have a baby in the house again! Alright, I guess I'll take what Piccolo said to heart and work on training some more. I'll start with my tail then."

Squatting low over the ground, Gohan willed his tail to act as a support to "sit" on and began doing push-ups with it. " _I've never actually tried working out with my tail like this before so I hope it's as strong as my other muscles!_ "

Gohan's answer came after the first several hundred pushups as his tail gave out and he fell hard on his bottom. Rubbing his sore rear-end and getting to his feet, Gohan decided to take it slow with his tail and instead worked on shadow boxing for the next few hours.

" _I'm going to feel that tomorrow! Hopefully Piccolo won't want me to do anything crazy over the next few days!_ " Gohan thought with annoyance as he pushed through the pain in his rear and tail. " _Hmm, I wonder if Piccolo contacted everyone yet and how Supreme Kai is doing with his search!"_

With the passage of several hours of intense physical and mental training, Gohan decided it was time to go cool off before his Mom called for dinner. He had heard nothing from her and took the silence as an opportunity to refresh himself.

Deciding to relax, Gohan released his Super Saiyan form and his hair returned to its normal black color and flew off toward the lake for a relaxing swim. He then stripped down to his underwear and dove into the chilling but refreshing lake for a nice swim. After swimming underwater for a while, he couldn't hold his breath any longer and shot to the surface to fill his lungs.

Happy to repeat this and look around water for a longer period, Gohan took a deep breath and dove in and out of the water multiple times for fun and to try and stay under longer and longer. He continued this "game" until he started to feel a large presence drawing near him. Running out of air once more, Gohan rocketed back to the surface to fill his lungs.

Reaching the surface, Gohan began to take notice of a large dark shadow filling in beneath him. " _If I were to transform into a giant ape I'd scare this fish away easily!"_ Gohan thought as he giggled childishly.

Wanting to have a little fun Gohan jumped out of the water and flew just outside of the enormous fish's shadow and waited for it to follow suit. It didn't take long before the massively wide jaws of the fish exploded from the water into the sky and chomped around thin air.

The left eye of the fish looked around frantically and fell upon the smaller, smiling half-Saiyan getting his right hand into a punching position while waving with his left hand.

Before the fish, easily the size of a small house could return to the water, Gohan hit it hard just under the fish's eye and knocked the creature across the lake and upon the shore unconscious.

"I don't know if we needed it or not but I'm hungry enough to eat the entire fish!" Gohan said happily as he landed next the fish right after it flopped on the shore. Drying himself off and getting his clothes back on, Gohan grabbed the giant fish by its tail and dragged it back to his house happily humming to himself as the sun hung lower in the sky and began to set.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Long time coming so this is a two-for one chapter feature!


	20. Chapter 19

**Disc** **laimer**

All original content is owned by Akira Toriyama and his affiliates.

 **Chapter 19:**

Gohan spent the next five days following a routine that he enjoyed to some extent. He'd wake up, have some breakfast, do some light morning exercises, transform to his ascended form and increase the challenges, do his homework as he promised, play with Trunks and help his mom as she needed him, go outside for more intense workouts that included increasing his sore tail's strength mixed with gentle meditations, swim and catch some fish for dinner, and then fall asleep each night exhausted from the day's adventures.

His tail slowly began to grow stronger and Gohan decided to work on his Ki manipulation in between this schedule he developed for himself. He kept expecting word from Piccolo or even Supreme Kai and Kibito but they had yet to come to him for anything important. Bulma stopped by each day to check up on Trunks for a few hours and get some much needed breaks from the mess at Capsule Corporation.

"When do you think your machine will be ready?" Gohan overheard his mom asking Bulma as the ladies sat in the kitchen having iced tea to drink on the sixth day of Trunks's visit. He was outside doing stretches in his ascended form and heard their discussion through an open window.

"That should be finished in the next few days fortunately! My team has gotten a routine going and they are hard at work on it!" Bulma replied after taking a giant gulp of tea from her glass.

"And what about your house in general?" Chi-Chi inquired further.

Bulma turned to her right side to check on Trunks who had decided to take an afternoon nap and was fast asleep in his high chair before replying, "Well, my little man sure did a number in his own way but my crew really screwed up that first day! Maybe a couple more days to a week. I really appreciate you helping me out Chi-Chi! I know Trunks can be a handful!"

Chi-Chi waved her hands in front like a fan while replying with a smile, "Its fine, Bulma. It gets me back into practice. Plus, Gohan has been a really good help!"

Changing to a whisper Chi-Chi replied more seriously, "So, any ideas about that husband of yours?"

"Hmph! He could contact me whenever he wants to try but I couldn't care less right now!" Bulma replied angrily.

Gohan had walked inside to get himself some water to drink at this point and greeted Bulma with a smile and "Hello!"

Bulma's sour mood turned to a happier one as she greeted him in return, "Hi, Gohan! I'm tinkering with that "toy" and should have it finished in a week or so if that's ok by you?"

"Sure, Bulma! It's not a problem!" Gohan replied cheerfully after taking a big drink of water and walking back outside to start his daily meditating.

"What toy is it you're working on?" Chi-Chi asked while taking a sip of her iced tea.

"Oh! That little thing! Um…It's a bit of a secret! You'll have to ask Gohan about it since I promised him I wouldn't tell anyone at least until I finished it!" Bulma replied with a smile and nervous laughter.

Chi-Chi just replied with, "I see. Ok, fair enough."

" _Maybe it's something for the new addition to our family!"_ She thought to herself with a smile.

Bulma's cell phone began to ring at that moment and she picked it up to see who called her. "Yes, I'm here. What's up?"

A few moments of silence passed as she listened. Bulma then began raging into the phone, "What do you mean the gravity won't work?! I checked it this morning and it was fine! I even turned it up to 300 times Earth's gravity!"

Bulma sighed after listening to the explanation and said in a more normal voice, "Ok, I'm coming. Give me half an hour!"

She hung up and got to her feet. "Sorry Chi-Chi but it might take a little longer than I thought. Apparently, a fuse shorted out after I tested the machine this morning and now we have to find and replace the right one!" Bulma explained exhausted.

"Oh, that's ok, Bulma. Do what you need to! I'll send Gohan to get some more food supplies today," Chi-Chi assured her.

"Thank you again!" Bulma said in relief as she rummaged in her pockets for a capsule. "Here! There's some money in this capsule for your troubles Chi-Chi. Take it! I won't hear "no" for an answer!"

Chi-Chi sighed as she accepted the capsule while lamenting, "I wish we were able to earn our own income for somethings."

"You have!" Bulma assured her with a smile as she prepared to leave. "That big oaf stole Gohan's winnings at the Cell Games and has bought several pricy services from Capsule Corporation in the past few weeks. So as far as I'm concerned he's paying you now!"

Both women howled in laughter at the thought and pulled Gohan from his short lived meditation.

Gohan stood up just in time to see Bulma toss a capsule on the grass and explode to reveal her jet-copter. Bulma gave him a quick wave as she hopped in and started the engine to take off. The machine flared to life and she was off to Capsule Corporation in a flash.

"Gohan! I need you to do something for me!" his mom called from the kitchen.

"I guess I'll do this later," Gohan said sighing as he got to his feet and walked into his house.

Trunks was awake and in a slightly cranky mood from all the recent noise. He began fussing and was on the verge of crying when Gohan walked into his view. Taking a look at the older Super Saiyan boy, he started smiling and talking in baby gibberish once again.

"What do you need, Mom?" Gohan asked her.

"I need you to go to Aru Village and get the food on this list," Chi-Chi said while handing him a small sheet of paper and capsule full of zeni. "They should be having a farmer's market today."

"Oh, ok. Sure thing, Mom!" Gohan said somewhat relieved it wasn't anything school related.

"And could you take Trunks with you? I know it's a strange request but he's calmer when you're near him," Chi-Chi added. "There's a capsule with a baby stroller in it on the table if you need it."

"Uh, sure Mom. That makes sense. I'll try to be back as quick as I can," Gohan said as he pocketed both capsules and picked up Trunks smiling at him.

"No worries, Gohan. It will give me time to relax. Thank you!" Chi-Chi replied smiling at him.

"How about we go for a little trip, Trunks?" Gohan said cheerfully as the baby laughed and happily hugged him in response.

Looking outside at the mostly sunny day sporting a few puffy clouds in front of him, Gohan decided to do something different.

"Hey, Nimbus!" He called loudly to the sky.

A yellow cloud zoomed down from the heavens and floated at knee level in front of the two demi-Saiyans.

"Thanks for coming Nimbus!" Gohan said cheerfully as Nimbus came to a floating stop mere inches in front of him.

Gohan placed Trunks on top while holding on to him tight enough. Nimbus showed no signs of dropping the baby as Trunks curiously padded and at the cloud base he sat upon.

Gohan hopped on behind him and stood watching at Trunks check out the new environment. " _I hope he doesn't get too mischievous in the future. This might be the only time I see him on Nimbus!"_ Gohan thought with a laugh as he carefully sat down and crossed his legs around Trunks.

"Alright Trunks. Ready to go?" Gohan smiled down at the baby who smiled back up and with a nod.

"Ok Nimbus, let's go to Aru Village for groceries!" Gohan said loudly as Nimbus sped off into the air.

" _It's weird flying in here on Nimbus like this but my muscles do need a break!"_ Gohan thought to himself as Nimbus descended just outside the village entrance.

"Ok, Trunks we're here! My dad once visited this place when he was a kid," Gohan said as Trunks looked at the tall wooden posts hoisting a sign that said "ARU VILLAGE."

"Do you want to ride the stroller your mom brought you or do you want me to carry you for a while?" Gohan said as he got off Nimbus.

Trunks just reached his arms out to Gohan in response. "Alright, I'll carry you." Gohan said chuckling as he picked up the baby.

"Thanks Nimbus! I'll call you again when we're done," Gohan said aloud as he carried Trunks along his right shoulder while walking into Aru Village.

Gohan had been to the village when Chi-Chi needed some groceries in a pinch several years ago but he had never stopped by on his own.

Being a small village with little more than a hundred people, Gohan's presence did turn several curious heads in his direction.

" _Maybe I should've come here in my base form,"_ Gohan thought uncomfortably while the eyes of various people seemed to stare at him as he walked into the village.

"Um, hi!" Gohan began with a nervous smile, "I live a few villages away and was looking to pick up some stuff for my mom."

The villagers seemed to relax at Gohan's easy natured question while an older lady piped up, "Welcome, youngster! We do have a lot to choose from today with the Farmer Market in town. You can check out the stands behind me."

"Sure! I'll take whatever you've got!" Gohan replied with a smile as his eyes fell upon the area crowded with multiple vendor stands and people. Trunks clung tighter to Gohan while looking around and getting scared.

"No worries, Trunks! I've got you. I won't take long like our mothers tend to do!" Gohan said smiling down at the baby as he walked closer to the vendors.

Gohan spent some time going from meat stands to various vegetable stands and finally an assortment of fruit stands while checking off his list. Trunks continued to get more fidgety during their shopping spree.

" _I guess he takes after crowds like I'd imagine Vegeta would!"_ Gohan thought taking notice and getting a little annoyed at Trunks's growing impatience.

After getting most of what his mom needed and getting tired of Trunks squirming and on the verge of crying, Gohan decided to take him and go to an area devoid of people.

" _It is crowded but it's not anything like in the city! And Trunks lives there of all places so why is he acting strangely?"_ Gohan pondered as he sat down on a bench under a tall tree providing some shade from the sun.

"Hey kid!" a gruff man a few feet from behind Gohan called to him.

Gohan turned around to see three fairly muscled guys dressed in farmer's outfits looking at him with sneers on their faces. " _I'm starting to get why Trunks is upset!"_ Gohan thought putting two and two together and feeling a little annoyed having to deal with thugs so far out in the country.

Standing up with Trunks in hand Gohan smiled at him and said in a low voice, "I guess I'm going to have to play with these big guys!"

"I can help you, Sir?" Gohan asked the guy politely.

"Yeah, actually you can," the big gruff man said chuckling. "My boys and I couldn't help noticing that you have a lot of money for someone not around these parts. There's this thing called a "No Beating Tax" for kids without their parents around."

His partners just chuckled at their own little joke while Gohan gave them a smirk of his own.

"I don't believe you guys just because your adults. I think you're just a bunch of big jerks trying to take advantage a kid you don't know anything about," Gohan replied cheekily.

The three guys were taken back by Gohan's quick remark and their leader replied angrily, "Alright, cut the crap and give us the money kid or it's gonna get rough for you and that baby brother of yours!"

Gohan didn't reply at first and simply walked Trunks over to the base of the tree and sat him down in the grass. Squatting down and smiling at a teary-eyed and scared baby Gohan quickly replied, "Wait here and watch how I play with them ok?"

Standing up and turning to face them once more, Gohan walked a few steps towards them and willed his aura to erupt around him. Golden flames and blue electricity danced around his body and golden tail in an instant.

All three men staggered backwards a few steps as they watched Gohan's light show. His flourishing energy also garnered the attention of many other people walking around.

"Are you guys sure you want to do this?" Gohan asked with a dangerously calm voice to the three big guys now shaking in their own boots.

The guy on Gohan's left started stammering, "JB! This kid ain't no ordinary kid! He's a monster!"

"Cool it, Lou! I've got this!" The leader said in a harsh whisper. "Well, you really are that golden delivery boy everyone's been talking about after all!"

Any hint of playfulness Gohan was feeling before, vanished at that statement and he glared at the guy in charge. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"To see how fast you are at saving people, little man!" JB replied as he pulled out a remote from his left pocket and held his left thumb over a giant red button.

"There's a bomb somewhere in this village and if I push this red button it will explode!" JB replied eagerly.

At the sound of his words, people all around began panicking and causing chaos. People who were casually conversing moments ago began pushing and shoving one another to vacate the area.

"IF ANYONE LEAVES THIS VILLAGE I'll PUSH THE SWITCH!" JB roared angrily and all people previously panicking stopped moving in shock.

"So, what will you do, kid? Any ideas on where the bomb is? A hay bale? A fruit you just bought? Or maybe a baby's stroller?" JB returned his attention and said in a mocking tone to a furious Gohan still flashing his electric aura.

Some mother's with their kids in strollers frantically removed the kids from said strollers and slowly backed away from them.

"You're nothing but a big bully and your "friends" are cowards," Gohan replied with anger as he pointed his right index finger at JB and began charging a tiny ball of Ki at its tip.

"You gonna shoot me little man?" JB said laughing. "My thumb is too fast for that-"

His laughter was cut short as Gohan vanished from his sight. In the span of only a few seconds Gohan was standing behind JB, back to back, with the controller crushed into hundreds of tiny pieces.

JB felt searing pain course through his now limp left arm and collapsed to the ground on his knees howling in pain. Gohan showed only anger in his face as he pivoted on his right foot and side-kicked JB into the back of the bench he and Trunks were sitting in moments ago.

"That was a light tap. I didn't want to break public property," Gohan said calmly to all who could hear him.

JB had been rendered completely unconscious with a dislocated spine, broken arm, broken wrist, and thumb nearly torn off its joint. Lou, who stood at JB's left, had turned tail and fled from the scene entirely.

Gohan heard an angry scream from Trunks and turned around to see the third thug struggling to hold Trunks with his hands.

As Gohan rushed at the guy, a ball of white light surrounded Trunks and exploded with his screaming. The third thug was blown away and somersaulted multiple times across the grass until he tumbled into a large pond with a big splash. The water seemed to sizzle around his burning hands and arms.

" _Serves him right!"_ Gohan smirked in a way that would make Vegeta proud and picked up a crying Baby Trunks while trying to calm him down.

"I'm sorry, Trunks! I wish you could've talked when you were feeling uneasy earlier but I'm glad you're so strong!" Gohan said cheerfully while walking towards the pond with Trunks in his arms emitting choked sobs.

Gohan casually floated atop the pond looking for the guy who fell in seconds ago. A sudden splash to Gohan's immediate left showed the man coming up for air.

Giving the guy an angry stare for a moment Gohan said, "If you don't want to drown, grab my tail and I'll tow you back to the land!"

Perplexed as Gohan's tail lolled down within reach for the guy he gasped, "It's real?!"

"Yeah! Take it before you drown!" Gohan commanded angrily and the guy grasped his tail in both hands like his life depended on it.

Gohan floated back across the water and landed on his feet while using his now fairly strong tail to toss the man a few feet in front of him with a loud THUMP. Either from the force or shock over the ordeal, the guy had fainted and was out cold.

As the trio landed, Gohan noticed the guy named Lou being dragged unconsciously by a short figure and half-heartedly tossed nearby as well.

Gohan did a double take and immediately recognized the person. " _Wait! I know that person! It's that new student I saw at Orange Star Middle School! What was his name…oh right! Lecs Devison! What's he doing here?!"_

"Um, thanks!" Gohan said to Lecs who was an inch or two shorter than him.

"It wasn't much of a problem," the blue-haired kid replied with a shrug. "I saw what was happening and chased this guy down myself. I think you might recognize something on him if you look closely."

Gohan stared at the boy for a second before following his gaze to the back of the two men's necks. A red tattoo mark was partially hidden under the collar their backs.

"Why would there be guys from the Red Shark Gang here?" Gohan pondered in shock.

"I'm not sure I just know who they are. Just like I know who you are, Gohan!" Lecs said as he and Gohan eyed each other carefully.

"Huh? How'd you know that?" Gohan asked in reply trying to stay calm.

"I found out about you after doing my own research at home," Lecs replied matter-of-factly, "I was curious when I first saw you at the school and looked up stuff on your family background."

"Ok, but how can you tell with my hair the way it is?" Gohan asked still feeling nervous he could be exposed so easily.

"Easy, I train in the martial arts too and I've learned what Ki is. I know a little bit about detecting others who have high enough Ki to be found," Lecs replied smugly.

"Ah. Heh, that makes sense!" Gohan said with a quick smile and relaxed a little inside. Trunks had also calmed down at this point and only watched as the older boys chatted with curious intent.

"So, what are you doing here then? We're several hours from the school," Gohan asked in a more friendly tone.

"I could feel your energy when it grows the past couple weeks and wanted to try and meet you when I felt ready. Flying isn't as easy as you make it out to be!" Lecs replied with a smile.

"Ah, ok! Neat!" Gohan noted cheerfully. "I've never had a friend close to my age who is familiar with Ki training, let alone using it to fly!"

The sound of sirens erupted in the distance and some of the people Gohan saved started walking towards them and Gohan began feeling uneasy once more.

"I'm really not much for attention and I should get back to my mom with the stuff I bought today," Gohan said quickly.

Lecs took note of the approaching crowd and nodded, "I agree. People can be really annoying! How about we meet up at some point before classes start?"

"Sure! Um, maybe in a few days?" Gohan said. "I'm helping to take care of my cousin here until his house is fixed up."

Gohan made a gesture at Trunks who only babbled in reply and pointed at the people approaching.

Both boys began to float high into the sky as dozens of people circled around where they stood and started shouting at Gohan and Lecs to stay and talk about what just happened.

"No problem. I found your address and number in the phone book at school. I'll call you then!" Lecs said as he flared up a white aura and took off in the direction of Satan City.

" _This is too weird but also too cool! I've made a friend my age I can actually connect with!"_ Gohan thought to himself as he flared up his golden aura and flew off to his house excitedly.

"Come on Trunks, we're going home now!" Gohan said happily as he flew with a giggling baby in his hands.

As he got a mile into his flight Gohan realized he forgot something and stopped abruptly. "Ah! I forgot about Nimbus!"

"NIMBUS!" Gohan called into the sky. A few seconds the puffy, yellow cloud came to a floating stop next to Gohan.

"Sorry, Nimbus!" Gohan said apologetically as he got onto the cloud with Trunks in hand and patted the cloud gently. "Flying is fun alone, but I'd miss riding you after a while!"

Nimbus's only response was to shoot off toward Gohan's house at a high speed.

* * *

Many light years away in a fair sized spaceship cruising through the stars with no known destination; one lone Saiyan trains his body to its limits and continues to push beyond.

"If Kakarot's son can pull out latent powers then so can I!" Vegeta grunted to the gravity room as he reached his ten thousandth push-up in 330x Earth's gravity wearing the same battle armor Bulma had prepared him for Cell. Though, it was shredded in many places after intense training.

"I shouldn't have stopped training with that kid constantly training his new level!" Vegeta lamented as he got on his back and started his next set of sit-ups.

"Disgraceful! Having to retrain myself at 300x that planet's gravity and slowly inch my way up!" he shouted in growing frustration.

Vegeta managed to get a couple thousand sit-ups in before the gravity got the best of his intense training regimen and he collapsed on his back hard while putting a body-sized dent into the floor.

"Great! I can barely handle 330x Earth's gravity and now my body is giving out on me! I will not give up!" Vegeta yelled as he urged his muscles to fight the gravity and rose to a sitting position.

Panting heavily and sweat covering him from head to toe; Vegeta searched his mind for anything to inspire him to get up.

"Gohan is training in that level 2 form and I'm sure Kakarot is training in Other World, no doubt pushing his own limits!" Vegeta shouted to the room. "Even my son from the future is surely doing his part and he came to us as a Super Saiyan!"

The thought of his son seeing Vegeta as weak burned through Vegeta's muscles like wildfire and he roared with rage as his Super Saiyan aura erupted and engulfed his body in golden light.

With his Super Saiyan powers coursing through his veins, Vegeta easily got to his feet and walked over to the main control panel to drop the gravity back down to one.

The heavy pressure gone, Vegeta felt fatigue overtake him and he stumbled onto his knees gasping for air.

" _Blast you, Kakarot! Maybe taking some rests in between CERTAIN exercises would get me back to where I was quicker!"_

Getting to his feet, Vegeta decided a quick nap couldn't hurt and began trudging off to the bed chamber to lay down when the entire ship shook and knocked him off his feet to land face down on the floor.

"What is this? Some sort of asteroid field I'm flying through now?" Vegeta yelled in anger mostly over being taken off-guard.

Vegeta clambered over to the piloting system and looked at the screen and out one of the windows while trying to determine where he was located.

Many more rocks and giant debris bumped into the spaceship and nearly knocked him off his feet once again.

"What is going here?" Vegeta shouted aloud. "It's as if I'm flying through the remains of a planet that was just exploded!"

Vegeta paused in his thinking and decided to reach out and feel for any strong Ki levels nearby.

"There should be nothing out here! Vegeta grumbled audibly. "I purposely set coordinates to go away from what's left of Frieza's empire! What could possibly-"

He froze as he sensed two strong beings that felt familiar. "Wait! That can't be right! What the he-"

A sudden and large explosion rocked the ship and it was sent spiraling at such an incredibly fast rate that Vegeta had no time to react in his tired state. His body was tossed around as the ship hurled off whatever course he had programmed.

For several intense minutes his aching body was battered and bruised across the spinning ship and as Vegeta lamented " _Death in space like this is not how I intended to die again!_ " a sudden and abrupt crash landing on a strange planet stopped him in his thoughts and he fell unconscious upon the hard tiled floor.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Here we go. Back to back!


	21. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer**

All original content is owned by Akira Toriyama and his affiliates.

 **Chapter 20:**

A dismal and frustrated Cell Junior sat meditating in the shadows of the Crane Dojo. Though Cell Junior Number 3 was somewhat pleased that the Crane Brothers and their students showed better progress than originally anticipated, he was growing impatient at having nothing to destroy or people to terrorize openly.

Only a few other weakling students had suffered a terrible fate at his hands, leaving the total roster down to thirteen, if you included the Crane Masters. Still, Three made sure the weaker students contributed to the goal by absorbing them into his own perfection.

Three had grown another inch or two in the last week and was becoming more and more like his father before him.

Through his meditation he could sense the progress of the Crane students and though their struggles and triumphs gave him some comfort, the restlessness continued to grow.

The sound of feet entering the dark dojo snapped Three out of his meditation and he rose to his feet to meet the owner of those feet.

"Master Three," the voice of the student Ken Siru emanated politely into the darkness.

Though Three detested all humans by now, even the Crane Brothers and his students, Ken was still of the few he had shreds of respect for. "What do you have to report now?" Three called out impatiently.

Ken kept his report short and said, "The Capsule Corporation team working on our gravity chamber is set to finish in the next three or four days. I was just there an hour ago to confirm the update for myself."

"Not as soon as I'd like but better progress than I expected," Three replied tersely.

"Do you wish to speak with the Crane Masters now? They are finishing up their training with the others and want me to take over. I admit I am happy to do so," Ken said with a glimmer of excitement in his eyes.

"I will accompany you out. I'm tired of sitting in these shadows!" Three said as he began walking towards the front entrance to the dojo.

Ken couldn't help but notice the Cell Junior's more mature nature since first meeting Three. " _He's still menacing but not completely as childish as he was before._ "

As they entered outside onto the grounds of the school, the shouts got louder along with several explosions of energy blasts happening in all directions of the duo.

Three stopped mere feet in front of Master Shen who had been standing still with his eyes closed for several minutes. He had been trying to relax after his recent sparring match with Tao. His breathing was far more rapid than normal and beads of sweat poured across his face and down his neck as Shen worked to calm down.

"Is that virus taking its toll again?" Three asked with faint curiosity.

Shen took a few more gasps of air before replying, "Indeed. I pushed myself a bit harder than I should have today but I don't want this weakness to slow me down either."

Three nodded and said with a sneer, "Well that's a relief. I'd hate to have to kill you so soon."

Shen just gave a dark grin back to him as he took a few more moments to calm himself enough to breathe normally. "It seems you are bored again, yes?"

"Yes. Ken just told me that it will be a few more days before that training machine is finished. I need some entertainment before I start killing off more of your students!" Three replied with increasing agitation.

"Maybe I can help with your lust for destruction. We are assassins after all so we can make more use of that," Shen replied thoughtfully.

"Can you wait until the cover of darkness, Master Three? I'll need some ideas from my brother," Shen asked.

A devious smile crept over Three's face as he replied, "Ken and I will take over for him now so you can come up with some targets."

Three started walking over to Tao and called back to Shen with, "And make sure it's not anymore Red Shark Gang members. They bore me too!"

* * *

As Vegeta's spaceship entered the planet's atmosphere and plummeted to the surface like a meteor, Grand Elder Moori had sensed the incoming object and rushed out of his house and called to his fellow Namekians with all traces of his normal jolliness gone.

"My brothers! A spaceship is approaching from the stars above! I sense a weak presence on it but be prepared just in case the being inside is hostile!" He shouted to other Namekians in the village who had stopped in their daily activities to hear him speak.

Before anyone could speak in response, the growing sound of an incoming object from above caught their attention and all heads turned to the sky. The spaceship approached at rapidly increasing speeds in a blazing streak of light.

Moments later it slammed into a neighboring plateau a quarter of a mile from the village, exploding the land feature into a huge cloud of burning rocks and grass. Debris rained from the growing plume of smoke and dust for several hundred yards around the impact zone.

Many of the warriors and warrior in training Namekians of the village stood on edge and waited for any signs of trouble. Though peaceful times had again come to the Namekian People, memories of the past still lingered in their minds.

"Grand Elder, what should we do?" a younger Namekian of the village asked as the huge dust cloud finally began to settle.

"We wait a few more moments and then go see what or who has come to our planet," Moori replied calmly.

"Elder, perhaps you should remain here until we know more about the stranger," A second slightly, older Namekian piped up.

"No. I've been feeling for any signs of life and I have sensed no inherent evil coming from that ship. I think I will be alright to go," Moori reasoned to the fearful group. "Look, the dust is settling enough for us to make out writing on the ship. Let's go see what is there."

Without another word, Moori floated into the air and flew at a gradually increasing pace toward the spaceship. The younger of the two Namekians who voiced concern quickly followed suit, along with several other Namekians willing to join the investigation.

A few minutes later Moori touched down a few feet from the wrecked ship and took notice of the writing on the ship. As he did, several other Namekians touched down near him.

"Elder, you shouldn't be so hasty!" the young Namekian said with concern.

"Just because I'm the elder, doesn't mean I can't take care of myself!" Moori said feeling annoyed with the youth. "Besides, there should be no harm found here. This ship is from the planet called Earth and more so the place we lived at while we stayed there!"

The initial tension that had grown deflated somewhat in the group as they stood awaiting Moori's commands. Meanwhile, Moori had floated into the air to get a better look at the spaceship.

"I don't think the passenger intended to land here. I see some damage on one side of the ship and multiple dents all over another area," Moori commented as he spent time floating around Vegeta's ship. He looked in through one of the windows and his eyes fell upon an unconscious body lying on the floor inside.

"Quickly, everyone!" Moori shouted to the group, "Help me find a button to open the door! There's someone inside and he isn't moving!"

The other Namekians rushed to Moori's aid and searched the outer shell for a button or latch to open the spaceship. It took several minutes before the younger Namekian's hands came across a large black button.

He pressed it and the sound of pressure being released could be heard. A large doorway opened in front of him while an entrance ramp simultaneously extended down to the ground near his feet.

Moori floated down next to the young Namekian and said, "Good work, Cargo!" before entering the spaceship followed by Cargo and the other Namekians behind him.

As the now five Namekians walked inside, their eyes fell upon the huge machine in the center of the ship, the broken and charred tiles on the floor, and finally the unconscious man lying near the center of the ship.

Frowns crossed their faces as their eyes fell upon Vegeta's unconscious body.

Cargo's eyes widened at the sight and curiosity gave way to shock and then slowly anger.

"It's that guy who wiped out Elder Tsuno and his village!" Cargo burst out in anger. "What's he doing here?!"

The other Namekians next to Moori looked at him for guidance on the matter.

"Considering his physical state and the damage on his spaceship, I truly doubt he came here on purpose. Regardless of the reason, let's get him back to the village and I will tend to his wounds," Moori replied grimly.

"But Grand Elder, he's evil! What if he slaughters us all the moment he awakens?!" Cargo protested defiantly.

"I told you that I sensed no evil presence in this spaceship and I sense no evil intent from him right now. We will treat him as a guest," Moori replied in a commanding tone.

Moori motioned to the other Namekians to pick Vegeta up and begin carrying him back to their village.

"As you wish Elder," two of them replied and began lifting Vegeta between them, his arms falling limp over their shoulders.

"But he is unconscious! Of course you won't sense anything from him right now! We should rid ourselves of him before he wakes up!" Cargo protested more angrily.

"Cargo!" Moori shouted at the youth and made him cringe in fear. "Elder Tsuno and his village are alive and well now! We have no reason to hold such hatred in our hearts! More to the point, my word as the Grand Elder is final!"

Cargo bowed his head in shame and replied in a low voice, "Forgive me elder. I only voiced my concerns because of what this man did. He even had the gall to hurt Dende."

Moori gave a small smile and said, "I understand your feelings, but I believe this man has put that part of his life behind him. I'm sure Dende has forgiven him as well."

One of the other Namekians spoke up, "We agree with you Elder, but as a precaution I think it wise to have some of the village warriors be around until we know that he is trustworthy."

Moori thought it over for a few moments and sighing said, "Very well. But we will not treat him as a prisoner. They can be on guard but do not have them following him around at every waking moment.

Cargo and the other Namekians nodded in reluctant approval before the two Namekians supporting Vegeta floated into the air and slowly flew him back to the village.

Moori spoke to his three remaining companions, "I will tend to his wounds as best I can, but unlike Dende I have not had much practice in healing others. Please send word to Elder Tsuno as I believe he has the ability to do a better job than I."

The two older Namekians nodded and flew off to Elder Tsuno's village. Cargo stood at Moori's side and stared at the ground clenching and unclenching his fists.

"It will be fine. Come, let's go back to the village Cargo. I may need your help as well," Moori said to his younger companion. "There's work to be done and questions to be answered."

* * *

Aching muscles dripped endless pools of sweat from the old man as he collapsed on his knees and planted his palms into the smooth tiles of the Lookout, his shadow seeming to mock his pain in the thinning daylight.

Gasping for breath that wouldn't come easily, the Turtle Hermit fought the urge to collapse and let the sweet release of darkness take him.

"It's been several days since I came here to train," Roshi gasped with frustration. "And I'm still having trouble getting used to the thin air up here. How do those young boys do it?!"

"They've had more training in this environment than you have," Mr. Popo stated reassuringly, "Maybe some breathing exercises will aid the problem, Old Master."

"Old?! Compared to you I'm practically a teenager!" Roshi spat in annoyance.

"I meant it in a respectful way," Mr. Popo said apologetically.

"Oh, well thank you but it still won't help my condition!" Roshi lamented with a sigh as he let the heaviness overtake him and fall back on his rear to rest.

"Considering you're able to do this much with all those weights on your body, speaks leagues!" Mr. Popo commented with a smile.

"Well, maybe several hundred pounds of extra weight is a tall order for me right now," Roshi commented as he crossed his legs and began calming his strained muscles while slowing his breathing down.

"If you clear your mind of those dirty thoughts for a few minutes at a time, you might be able to focus mind over body better," Mr. Popo instructed.

Roshi eyed him closely and replied with, "You are worse than that old turtle nagging at me back home!"

Voices could be heard across the Lookout as Dende and Piccolo emerged from the building.

"Has there been word from Supreme Kai as of late?" Dende asked to Piccolo.

"No not since yesterday. He thinks he found the general location but since Majin Buu has been asleep for years, it's hard to pinpoint an energy signal," Piccolo said with annoyance.

"Are you worried about that wizard getting here before they find the cocoon?" Dende asked. "I haven't been able to sense any large powers coming to Earth yet."

"I am. We don't know what amount of energy Babidi has amassed to resurrect Majin Buu and if he has enough to do it right away, it will be over before the fight even begins. The sooner that cocoon is off the planet, the better!" Piccolo replied with frustration.

Overhearing their conversation from afar Roshi decided to stand up and stretch his body as best he could with his weighted restraints.

"Say, Dende? Have you had any luck in tracking down Krillin or Tien?" Roshi asked.

"I think I found Krillin earlier today but then I lost his energy signal. It's as if he didn't want to be found for some reason," Dende said sadly.

"I see..." Roshi mused. " _That lucky dog! If only I had his youth…"_

"And Tien is harder to trace since I barely know him," Dende continued with a sigh.

"Well don't be discouraged. You have Gohan and Piccolo and me once I get my energy back!" Roshi proclaimed proudly.

"I suppose so! Oh! I'm sorry I forgot!" Dende replied apologetically. "I can heal you Master Roshi, and then suggest you get some sleep!"

Roshi nodded and began lurching his way slowly toward Dende.

"I'll take you up on that offer!" Roshi replied between grunts.

After several difficult moments of struggling, he gave up and finally collapsed on the tiled floor face first. Everyone sweat dropped at the Turtle Hermit's clumsiness.

"Maybe you should come here instead!" He tried to holler. Fortunately Dende was rushing to his aid the second he fell.

* * *

As Gohan helped his mom clean up after dinner, Trunks half crawled, half waddled around the living room. They could hear him babbling happily over the TV with a news station going over the day's highlights.

"Less vocal and happier when he's full, huh Mom?" Gohan asked chuckling at the sight.

"Yes. Honestly, I had less trouble making you happy as a baby!" a somewhat frazzled Chi-Chi replied as she dried dishes. A bunch of broken plates lay on top of the garbage can in a pile.

"How many plates did he actually break before I finished roasting the fish outside?" Gohan asked curiously.

"As many pieces of carrots as he threw at the wall," Chi-Chi replied with a sigh rubbing her growing belly absentmindedly. "I'm happy to take care of Trunks, but I really look forward to Bulma taking him home in just a couple more days."

"Heh, he likes meat as much as Dad and I do," Gohan commented as he put dry dishes in the cupboards.

He took note of how she did that more frequently now. " _Probably better I don't say anything now,_ " he thought to himself.

After several more minutes of cleaning up, Chi-Chi's "Mom" ears picked up on the sudden sounds of quiet from the living room, minus the TV as background noise. Slightly alarmed Chi-Chi finished drying the last of the unbroken dishes.

She turned and walked into the living room to search for Trunks. Relief instantly set in as she caught him near the TV lying on his tiny pillow, sucking his right thumb, and holding his blanket in the other hand.

"Well at least he sleeps just like you too!" She commented with a smile at the sight.

Gohan walked in to see what she meant and a sheepish smile crossed his face.

"Can you put him to bed Gohan? He's calmer with you than me," Chi-Chis asked quietly.

"Sure, I think I'll turn in soon, too. Keeping at full power all day is tiring!" Gohan said with a smile as he scooped Trunks into his arms. After releasing his golden aura, Gohan carried the baby into his bedroom.

"Ok, just make sure you brush your teeth! He's excused from fish breath but you're not!" Chi-Chi called after her son jokingly as she followed the boys down the hallway.

Though on a low volume the TV began broadcasting a breaking news logo and the newscaster came on the air.

"This just in folks, it seems that Monet Baugh, the richest man in Gingertown, has been found dead at his home by one of his housekeepers," the newscaster stated.

"It appears he died of internal bleeding from ruptured arteries. This has happened merely a month after he somehow survived the terror from the monster we all know as Cell," he continued. "Initial speculation is due to a heart condition that has been affecting select people of the region in the last couple of years.

His co-anchor chimed in, "Yes, and what's even stranger is that part of his house was in ruins as if an explosion had occurred. We are now going live to the scene for further details."

* * *

"How is he doing Grand Elder Moori?" An older voice called from behind Moori.

Moori stood with his hands outstretched over the bed that Vegeta lay upon, small waves of energy billowing out and casting the unconscious Saiyan Prince in a light orange glow.

The room was dark except for whitish green light entering through two small windows, the doorway to the dwelling's living room, and the light reflecting off the giant 4-star ball seated in a little notch on a purple pillow resting above Vegeta's head. Moori had multiple beads of sweat pouring down his face and was breathing heavily.

Cargo sat in a chair off to the side just watching intently. His mind was still hung up between anger at Vegeta and Moori's guidance to forgive and forget.

"He still hasn't woken up and I've been at this for half an hour. I'm glad you came Elder Tsuno," Moori turned his head slightly and replied with a smile.

Tsuno, wearing a purple robe and holding a wooden staff in his left hand, walked in using his wooden staff as a support.

Cargo quickly stood up upon seeing that Tsuno had arrived and gave a quick bow, "Good to see you, Elder Tsuno!"

"Good to see you too, Young Cargo!" Tsuno said with a smile. "You've grown a couple inches since we last spoke!'

Cargo gave a small smile with pride in it before retreating back to his seat and continuing to watch the events play out before him.

Tsuno turned his attention back to the wounded warrior and got a good look at Vegeta.

He stared for a moment blankly before saying with a frown, "So it's true. This man has come to our planet after all. I never thought I'd see him again."

"Are you still angry?" Moori asked with concern.

"I am surprised and a bit unsettled to know he is in our villages once more, but I cannot disagree with your feelings on the matter. I too sense no evil from him, only intense internal conflict," Tsuno commented.

"Then will you help me to bring him back to consciousness? It seems he is not here to cause trouble but I fear that is what sent him to our doorstep," Moori replied with relief.

"I will," Tsuno replied with a smile as he stood next to Moori and examined Vegeta more closely.

"I see that you have healed some minor burns and scratches. You have done well for somebody with limited training in this art," Tsuno replied with a smile. "But I think I can hasten the healing of the more severe wounds if you give me some time."

"I'd appreciate that. Thank you!" Moori said graciously and released his energy flow and the associated dimming orange light surrounding Vegeta.

Tsuno stretched out his arms and bathed Vegeta in a stronger orange light that engulfed both the prince and the bed he lay in.

"I will warn you Grand Elder Moori that while I and a few other older Namekians from my village are willing to forgive the past, some of the younger Namekians are not so quick to change," Tsuno said with some strain.

"I am aware, Tsuno. I had to reprimand Cargo for being so brash earlier and even members of my village are wary of this Saiyan's presence," Moori replied gloomily.

Cargo just stared at the back of his hands on his lap with shame at the mention of his name.

Tsuno nodded in understanding while focusing energy on Vegeta's upper body and said "At least they are acting civilized. My village was not happy to hear of his presence and they were very adamant that I not aid you. I left with a few others who were on my side as the younger males quibbled among themselves."

"At any rate, I may be able to bring him to awaken shortly but I do not know if I can heal him fully at this time," Tsuno added as he continued to concentrate on Vegeta's wounds around his shoulders and chest.

"I must ask, is that out of fear or lack of experience?" Moori questioned calmly but in a tone bordering on disgust.

"Both, Elder Moori. And by fear, I mean for his own good," Tsuno replied reassuringly. "I assure you, I bare him no ill will, but I am not the best healer. It would be easier if both of us worked together but you are tired."

"You fear the others will come to do him harm? If we need more support I will have to ask-" Moori began with concern.

He was interrupted by the sound of angry shouts in the distance followed immediately by cries of agony. Mere moments passed and they could hear and feel large explosions and loud thuds. Both elders turned their heads to look outside Moori's house to see several Namekian warriors marching toward it.

"Yes, Elder Moori I do," Tsuno replied hurriedly. "I will try to rouse him and hope he can at least defend himself should it come to that but if he is to live you should go quell their anger!"

Moori quickly turned to Cargo and said, "Cargo please! I really need you to help as best you can this time! Stay here with Elder Tsuno and do whatever he asks!"

Cargo nodded in response and reluctantly moved to stand next to Tsuno while Moori worked up the energy to walk outside and greet a growing angry mob in his village. Vegeta slowly began stirring on the bed amidst the tension outside.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

No, I have not forgotten about any of this. Part of it was writer's block, part of it was life.


	22. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer**

All original content is owned by Akira Toriyama and his affiliates.

 **Chapter 21:**

As the sky filled with the golden light of the setting sun, the boy known as Lecs Devison flew southwest from Aru Village towards his destination. His mind whirled with the day's events.

" _That was easier than I expected getting on that kid's good side! I never thought him to be that naive!"_ He thought to himself grinning. " _I'll get stronger a lot faster with him as a training partner!"_

His grin faltered somewhat as his mind revolved around the Half-Saiyan. Mountains changed to grassy plains as his course took him further south.

" _But really, why is he so ridiculously gentle and carefree? I remember that ruthless look of anger from the first time, but he relaxed so quickly at my simple reason for wanting to meet him today."_

" _His dad was the same way too! What is it that makes them both so strong and still so…lighthearted? And why do I care so much? This is stupid!"_

Lecs's course took him right over Satan City; he caught sight of the school grounds and frowned in annoyance.

" _Well as much as his attitude annoys me, at least his overall company will be more tolerable than the other obnoxious people down there! It'd be so much easier if I could use my full power!"_

Passing the city and grasslands, the boy neared the open waters of the ocean as if on autopilot while he mulled over the upcoming school year.

" _I've already forced myself to do something extreme to get this far, at least I can sleep the time away at that prison!"_

He finally came to Papaya Island where he was currently calling home. Lecs slowed down somewhat as he flew over the World Martial Arts Tournament grounds. The entire place was undergoing a huge renovation and expansion. Large piles of metal beams, wood, concrete bags, and heavy machinery lay scattered in distinct locations around the fighting square.

A giant sign near the entrance read "The World Martial Arts Tournament grounds are undergoing a large expansion with the generous funds from our savior Hercule Satan! Join us next year for the grand reopening!"

" _Hmph more like his stupid fans funding it! Can't wait to punch holes into that idiot! Heh, maybe I can convince Gohan to do it for me. I guess that's another thing we might have in common…"_

Lecs shook his head of the thought as he flew about a mile from the town surrounding the tournament grounds and landed outside a small red house in the suburbs.

" _Ph, he's nothing but a training partner at best. And when the time comes..."_

He opened the door and stepped into a dimly lit living room with the glow of the TV shining in the far corner. A man sat in a chair watching the TV intently, his back to Lecs.

"Hello, _Dad_. I'm home!" Lecs called in an overly fake and cheerful voice.

The man slowly turned around, his yellow hair and mustache frazzled while his eyes were bloodshot. The man hadn't had much sleep the past days…or was it weeks? Honestly, he didn't know or care at this point.

"Did you do this?" He asked in a scared but almost whispered voice as he pointed to the news channel going over the death of Monet Baugh in Gingertown.

"Nope! Wasn't me!" Lecs replied in a sing song voice and grinned mischievously. His strange purple eyes locked with those of the man in the chair.

"Ah. Ok." The man replied as if defeated and slumped back into the position of watching TV once more.

Lecs just watched him with faint curiosity for a moment before commenting nonchalantly, "You know, until recently, I've never seen or imagined you without your sunglasses on. You should keep them on, those eyes are weird looking!"

* * *

Moori stood just inside his doorway feeling older than he was with his hands grasping the inner sides of the doorway. He looked at the dozen angry Namekian warriors standing maybe a few yards in front of his doorstep.

"We've heard that you are nursing that evil man who slaughtered our people years ago," the leader of this group stated while stepping forward.

"Yes, I am," Moori replied calmly though a bead of sweat falling down his brow signified otherwise, "Though I do not know if he is as evil as you say."

"Elder, we do not believe this to be a wise course of action," the angry leader continued with his voice rising and ignoring Moori's comment. "We must rid our people of that menace!"

Moori stepped out into the sunlight and replied curtly, "What menace? He is broken, unconscious, and as far as I can tell he has no evil desires!"

"He must be brought to justice!" Another Namekian cried.

All the others shouted in support with "Yeah!" or "He must die!"

Moori grew increasingly agitated but tried to maintain a calm and collected composure as their leader while saying, "That atrocity was years ago and all of those who lost their lives are among us now. Isn't that enough? He is not here to cause us further suffering, I assure you."

"Why do you continue to defend him, Elder?!" The leader demanded angrily while clenching his fists in frustration.

"I am simply stating the truth as I always have. If you are so unconvinced, let me try to wake him, albeit in a weakened state, and you can hear his reasons for being here himself. Or would you rather go against your Elder's guidance, Kasma?" Moori replied matter-of-factly.

All the warriors fell into a hushed silence at Moori's words and seemingly calm attitude in the face of anger. They all began to stare hard at the ground in front of them. Some contemplated his reasoning, others questioned his lack of action.

After some moments with only the sound of wind billowing through the village one of the warriors finally spoke, "Would the Grand Elder ever lead us astray?"

Some began to feel that was not the case but before anyone else could respond Kasma chimed up, "No he would not do so intentionally, I am sure. But this being was cunning and ruthless to Elder Tsuno and our village! He could easily deceive the Grand Elder or all of us!"

Kasma turned to face his followers and shouted, "That being slaughtered us once before and why not do it again if given the chance?! What if he has come for the dragon balls once more?!"

"Porunga only replies to the Namekian language. I am positive he knows that already so it would be pointless for him to try and take them," Moori countered.

"Then he will just kill us all for his sick pleasure! Grand Elder, I urge you to reconsider!" Kasma shouted angrily. "You weren't there! You didn't see the joy in his eyes when he slaughtered us all!"

Moori felt like he was losing ground on any hope of convincing the Namekian warriors in front of him to follow him.

With a voice bordering on yelling he glared fiercely at them all and retorted firmly, "I was not there to bear the brunt of those atrocities as I had been killed by Frieza and his subordinates. However; I have come to terms with that and you should as well with this man! He has no ill will against us! Let him wake and speak his mind for you to hear and judge! If the Saiyan known as Goku has let him live this long, then surely there is some good in him!"

Several moments of silence passed as his tone and words had shocked them all into gaping at him. So all Namekians would know the truth, Moori and the other elders had described in detail what Frieza had done to their people.

Moori could see his words taking root in his children's eyes and hoped that he had finally humbled them all. If he could let go of the evils of Frieza, surely his children could let go of the evils that Vegeta had committed against them.

Among the several warriors gathered that were from Moori's own village one spoke, "Perhaps we should hear his words."

Moori was eased by this slightly but noticed that about half of the congregation were just staring at the ground clenching their fists in anger.

"You only say that because you're from this village and not Elder Tsuno's!" Kasma spoke angrily.

His supporters shouted "Yeah!" and "He's right!"

"No! I'm just trying to find a peaceful solution! Regardless of what that man did, I see no reason for any more bloodshed!" he replied sadly.

"You just don't understand our plight or Elder Tsuno's suffering! And what if Frieza were alive again? Would you give him the same hospitality?! I should hope not!" Kasma replied with increasing anger as he advanced upon the supportive Namekian with his right fist raised and glowing yellow.

"Enough of this pointless bickering!" Moori shouted and got the attention of everyone once more.

"Elder Tsuno has agreed to my decision and is currently healing the wounded warrior as I speak! If you will not heed the decision then leave my village in peace!" Moori commanded as a parent scolding a young child.

"Understood Grand Elder," most of the gathered warriors said in unison and turned to leave his house in peace. Four of them, all from Elder Tsuno's village, just stood watching as their brethren accepted the guidance of Moori. They glared at Moori for several tense moments while the other Namekians departed.

"Well? Some of your brothers are behind you waiting," Moori encouraged still in his commanding tone.

Kasma spoke with a calm voice, "Grand Elder we respectfully decline. You know that we have been preparing for an event such as this and now that it is happening you just expect us to stand by and be killed again?!"

Before Moori could utter a reply the warrior continued on, "No more! If you will not give that man to us, we will take him by force!"

Kasma advanced on Moori and his supporters followed suit.

" _I was hoping to stop this from happening! I guess I'll have to defend the doorway as long as I can!"_ Moori thought to himself as he moved to stand in the doorway to his house while spreading his arms out wide in a "T" to show he would not back down.

"Out of the way Elder!" Kasma stated harshly.

"No!" Moori replied equally as harsh.

The Kasma raised his right arm to take aim at Moori when a yellow energy blast collided with his back and stopped him in his tracks. It left a dark charred and badly bruised patch of skin on his middle back as the energy tore through his clothing.

Kasma turned his anger to see the Namekians who supported Elder Moori, including some from his own village, advancing on them as well.

"That was a warning! Leave this village now or we will make you by force!" The one who shot the beam called in a rage. "We don't care about the man the elders are nursing, but we will not let you harm the Grand Elder just because you won't get your way!"

Kasma replied curtly, "So be it!" before powering up and charging at them with a yell. His supporters rushed with him against them and an all-out brawl between the Namekians erupted.

Fists collided, energy balls exploded, and several of the village homes became explosions of rubble as both Namekians and energy blasts entered them simultaneously. Kasma had easily knocked away four of the now eight warriors who turned on him and rushed at high speeds to take down the others in a fit of rage.

The fierceness of the Ki's exploding in front of Moori knocked him off his feet and back into his home. He fell with a thud on his back and lay there panting in his living room.

" _What now?! I am too weak to stop them and if they don't rip my village apart first, they will surely kill themselves in the process!"_ He thought to himself as Moori struggled to rise to a sitting position.

His efforts were stopped by the dark outline and shadow of Kasma standing in Moori's front doorway. His supporters were battling the remnants of Moori's short lived army. Clearly Kasma's group was training hard and pushing to higher limits of power.

"I will finish him Grand Elder and then you will see it as the best course of action in time," Kasma said as he entered the room and began creating a yellow ball of Ki in his right hand.

A bright yellow beam of Ki twice the size of Kasma's growing ball of energy suddenly passed over Moori and collided with the Namekian's hand as it sailed out the front doorway.

It took his right hand clean off and blood began gushing where Kasma's right hand had been moments before. He clutched at the wound in agony and howled in pain.

"I've heard enough of your cowardice, Namekian!" an angry and harsh sounding voice called from the bedroom. "If you want to defeat me then do it in true combat, not while I am bedridden!"

Vegeta trudged forward limping on his left side, his left hand and palm stretched out and facing the warrior. He was breathing rather heavily but had no outward sign of injury. His eyes however, displayed an eagerness to fight.

"You monster!" Kasma yelled at him as he continued to clutch at his hand-less right arm with his left hand. Blood still trickled down his arms. "That was a cowardly attack!"

"You should've been prepared for anything!" Vegeta said mockingly and sneered at the wounded warrior.

Kasma glared at Vegeta a second longer before producing a grin of his own. "Fine! Two can play at that game, Monster!"

He suddenly raised his right arm to face the wall and screamed. Yellow Ki began billowing around the torn appendage. For several seconds the wound began morphing and bulging until a fresh hand dripping in blood sprouted out good as new.

The warrior took a few moments to ensure proper mobility and nerve connections were there before clenching his fist and smiling in triumph.

Vegeta just smirked back at him and said, "If you think that will scare me, you've forgotten that I live on a planet with a Namekian known as Piccolo."

"And why he hasn't killed you yet, is a problem I will soon correct!" The warrior shouted as he lunged at Vegeta not caring about anything else in his surrounding environment.

Vegeta seemingly phased out of existence as the Namekian's right fist collided with thin air.

Kasma felt pressure on his shoulders just as a voice whispered from behind, "He hasn't killed me yet because he knows he can't!"

Vegeta had grabbed Kasma with both his hands and was falling backwards while pulling the Namekian with him. Vegeta quickly placed his feet on Kasma's back, and "pushed" him through the doorway forcing Kasma several yards down the path leading to Moori's house. Kasma landed with a hard thud and skidded across the grass face down with dust and dirt billowing all around him.

Feeling slightly reinvigorated, Vegeta rushed out the doorway and charged at the Namekian warrior who had just managed to get to his feet.

Vegeta moved to elbow Kasma in the face and was surprised to receive resistance as his elbow collided with the outstretched palms of the Namekian warrior.

"Fine! We fight to the death!" Kasma shouted as a white aura surged around his body and another ball of yellow Ki began charging between his palms and Vegeta's left elbow.

Acting quickly Vegeta ducked under the Namekian's outstretched hands and placed both palms of his hands on Kasma's chest.

"Mine are stronger and faster!" Vegeta yelled back smirking as he charged up his own Ki in each palm and a burst of yellow light erupted in front of him. It encompassed the Namekian's entire body as he was caught in the flow of energy. The beam of Ki and its traveling companion collided with a butte a couple hundred yards away and the entire structure exploded with rock chunks flying in all directions.

All Namekians in the vicinity stopped in their actions and took in the sight of the explosion with awe and fear. Their eyes turned to look at Vegeta who was sweating and panting heavily as he fell down on his left knee.

"Did he kill Kasma?!" one of the on-looking and badly bruised Namekians from Moori's village shouted in fear.

As if to answer, another explosion of rock and dirt came from the eradicated butte and a lone green figure stood with his arms stretched to the sky, screaming with rage. Most of the clothes he had been wearing were shredded and he was bleeding from head to toe.

"You'll have to try harder to defeat me, Monster!" He called over to Vegeta as his white aura erupted around him once more and he charged at Vegeta again but with increased speed that surprised everyone, even Vegeta himself.

" _I don't have time to waste on this weakling! Guess I have no choice but bring it all out now!"_ Vegeta thought to himself as he struggled to stand on both feet.

"This ends now!" Vegeta screamed back as he pulled on his inner Ki and let the golden energy of a Super Saiyan explode from within.

Kasma let his right hand, balled into a fist at this point, punch at Vegeta's head just as Vegeta transformed into his Super Saiyan state. For the Namekian, it was like hitting a solid immovable wall.

Vegeta grunted as the punch collided with his face. It managed to turn his head slightly to his left but he stood solid ground without moving his feet.

The Namekian stared in shock and horror at the virtually nonexistent damage he inflicted on Vegeta's face and jumped back into a fighting stance a few feet away.

" _This guy is insane! I thought for sure I had him!"_ Kasma thought to himself in exasperation.

Even though he was clearly dominating the fight and currently showing no hint of being tired outwardly, Vegeta felt his energy draining fast. His golden aura continued to flash brilliantly while he struggled internally to maintain it.

" _This is ridiculous! I can barely maintain my power and this Namekian could've slaughtered me if I hadn't transformed! I'm going to have to bluff or it's over!"_

"Honestly! If you had defeated me what purpose would it serve? You were planning to channel all your Ki towards the house of your two elders and a little kid! Would you have been happy with that?" Vegeta roared at Kasma.

Kasma's eyes opened wide in shock at Vegeta's truthful words but said nothing in response.

"I will give you just this one chance to stand down, Namekian! I didn't come here for bloodshed but I will kill you if you don't cease your pointless endeavor now!" Vegeta commanded with an angry stare. Any hint of enjoyment or dark humor was gone from his face.

All Namekians in the vicinity had been standing, laying, or floating mid-fight with one another in silence as they watched the outcome of the battle.

Even Moori and Tsuno had come outside the house to see the battle as it played out from their location further away.

"It seems I finished reawakening the Saiyan in time," Tsuno said feeling drained and out of breath.

"I agree," Moori commented as he struggled to stand. "But I can tell he still needs more time to recover. I hope this ends in his favor soon."

"Well?! What's your answer? I'll give you ten seconds to reply or I'm finishing this fight for good!" Vegeta shouted defiantly.

"TEN…NINE…EIGHT…SEVEN-" Vegeta began saying loudly before the Namekian dropped his aura and stance. He just stood with arms at his sides hanging limply and stared at Vegeta with pure hatred in his eyes.

"Fine! It's clear I can't beat you as I am right now! I concede!" Kasma spat at Vegeta.

Vegeta released his flashing golden aura but still kept his Super Saiyan powers intact. He didn't want to let his guard down.

"Good! Now leave my sight before I change my mind! And take your followers with you! I have business to discuss with your Grand Elder and I don't need you interfering!" Vegeta commanded while giving Kasma a stern look.

"I don't care if you've reformed or not at this point! You'll let your guard down eventually, Monster! And when you do I'm taking you down with it!" Kasma replied curtly before his aura exploded around him and he soared into the sky away from Moori's village. Mere seconds later, all of his followers charged up their own auras and disappeared in the same direction.

Only when not even the faintest trace of their bodies could be seen in the sky did Vegeta finally relinquish his Super Saiyan glow. He immediately collapsed onto his knees as his hair turned black and breathed heavily. The strain he felt on his body was enormous.

Cargo had seen the entire fight up close as he was crouched near one of the houses beside his that weren't in total ruin. At Tsuno's direction, Cargo reluctantly left through the back of Moori's house just before Vegeta forced himself to stand up and confront Kasma minutes earlier.

Cargo was originally in support of Kasma's actions and angry at Vegeta for bringing this "plague" on his people. But his feelings wavered as Kasma both insulted and charged at Elder Moori.

" _Now Vegeta is defending us? What happened to change him from what Dende said he was like on Old Namek? Is this for real or a trick?"_ Cargo thought to himself.

He surveyed the scene a few moments more: Vegeta down on his knees still wounded and gasping for air, all other Namekians too shocked to move, and his elders Moori and Tsuno also winded from trying to revive Vegeta.

After taking in everything happening in front of him, Cargo finally made up his mind on the direction he wanted to go and slowly walked over to Vegeta, sweat pouring down his brow in droves.

" _Elder Moori was right! I don't sense any evil in his heart either! But he's still so intimidating! Ok, I'll be sure to get to the point!"_

"Excuse me, ( _what did Dende say he was…ah!)_ , uh, Prince Vegeta, my elders are in no condition to continue helping you right now. So, uh, what can I do?" Cargo asked as he stood a couple feet from Vegeta, his legs trembling slightly.

Vegeta's breathing became less heavy and he stared at Cargo in disbelief over the unexpected title given to him.

" _Respect from a Namekian child just like that? This is beyond bizarre! But I can't dwell on it now, I need to recover quickly!"_

Finally, Vegeta replied in a tired but urgent voice, "Alright, listen to me carefully boy!"

Cargo gave a couple nods and a clearly voiced "Ok!" to show he understood.

Vegeta continued, "Good. If you or your race wants to survive, you'll get me back to that bed to rest in and anyone else you can find to continue healing my wounds!"

"Uh, ok! Sure! I'll get right on that, Sir! I might be able to help you heal myself!" Cargo replied quickly as he turned around to face the other Namekians still lost in shock.

Cargo called over to his brethren, "I need help getting him back to Elder Moori's house!"

A couple of the younger fighters snapped out of their trance and rushed over to help. They asked Vegeta if they could support him as he got to his feet. He reluctantly nodded and gave them consent to carry him.

" _If that kid is even half that of Dende, I may be able to recover and get back to training! I just need to sleep a little more,"_ Vegeta thought as he approached Moori's house again. " _That ship had better still have the gravity machine working or I have no chance!"_

* * *

"Why are you so slow, brother?" Six asked of Seven.

Both Cell Juniors were on their twenty-fourth planet looking for signs of New Namek and finding only comparably weak races.

Screams of terror emanated all around as they casually strolled down the main street of a fairly large city with tall buildings. Sundown had come to this region of the planet and they were walking through the shadows of each building, casually shooting energy beams at anything that moved.

"I've killed over dozens of these human-like creatures and absorbed hundreds of others in the first towns we ravaged. Yet you've barely gotten over a hundred yourself!" He said angrily and shot a bus-sized beam of red energy at a group of people who had thrown grenades his way "We're supposed to increase our powers together!"

The grenades were swept up in the energy beam as it flew at the fleeing people and exploded into them and the building they had just managed to enter.

"I'm sorry brother. I've been thinking about that ship that got caught in our fun from destroying that last planet. It seems familiar but I can't figure why," Seven replied feeling frustrated.

He spied some terrified people huddling behind a pile of rubble a few yards away. His eyes glowed a bright shade of red and unleashed two red beams of energy in their direction.

The pile of rubble and the people were gone in a flash of light and flying debris within seconds. Only the sounds of dust settling could be heard for miles around.

"I saw it spiral through the debris but I don't know if it collided with bigger rocks and exploded or crash landed on a planet!" He continued. "I feel like we should've followed it!"

"If it bothers you so much, maybe we should go searching for it after we finish up on this planet. I'm still kind of hungry and I know you are!" Six replied with an evil grin.

"You're right! The more we feed the more our powers grow!" Seven replied back with his own evil grin.

Both Cell Juniors, now roughly the same height as Krillin, let their tails expand behind them and swish eagerly.

Seven nodded in the direction to his left and they both plowed through a brick wall into a room with people hiding from their terror. The screams grew louder once more.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

FYI I am trying to keep in the spirit of Toriyama and use the "play on words" for various things. I have my reasons.

To ArthurShade and others supporting this ongoing story: Thank you for your liking of this story! I personally wouldn't call it magnificent but I appreciate your support all the same! I am doing my best to keep the original characters true to the source material while trying to keep the ideas original (especially given the cliches that have come with this series at times).


	23. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer**

All original content is owned by Akira Toriyama and his affiliates.

 **Chapter 22:**

Vegeta woke abruptly in Elder Moori's bed and realizing he was stripped of his clothes, minus his underwear, he began shouting for anyone to come explain what was going on.

"What the hell is going on here?! What did you do with my armor?!" Vegeta yelled.

Elder Moori had been sitting in his living room calmly trying to meditate when Vegeta's angry shouting made him jump.

He entered the bedroom quickly and was greeted with Vegeta sitting at the edge of the bed glaring daggers at him.

" _Cargo wasn't kidding! This man can be very intimidating!_ " Moori thought as he cleared his throat to speak.

"Well, as soon as you were brought back here, you lost consciousness. It seems your efforts to ward off Kasma let wounds we had healed reopen and you were bleeding all over," Moori explained. "To ease your comfort, we removed your armor and Cargo immediately set to healing your wounds while I cleaned your armor and put it out front to dry."

"Then I will go and get it. I need to get back to my ship and continue my training!" Vegeta said gruffly.

"You've been out for almost a day's time. Surely you do not mean to undo what we just did?" Moori countered as Vegeta walked past him and strolled outside to find his armor hung over a wire.

Dressing himself in armor that surprisingly had few tears in the fabric, Vegeta returned his gaze to Moori and said, "There isn't any time for that!"

"I understand that you feel fully healed but I urge you to take a little more time and let your body bask in that feeling of rest rather than rush off to train more!" Moori practically pleaded with the stubborn Saiyan.

"I already spent more time than I should have recovering and I'm ready to get back to it!" Vegeta replied with his famous temper growing rapidly.

" _How can a being be so relentlessly stubborn?_ " Moori thought to himself in frustration.

"My body has endured far worse in the past, this was nothing compared to those incidents!" Vegeta growled sensing Moori's irritation. "And time is something neither I nor your people have!"

"There is no arguing with you when your mind is made up?" Moori replied sighing heavily. "Would you at the very least tell me what is going on so I may relay the message to my people? The strongest of my village reoriented your ship and are checking it over for any major damage as we speak."

Vegeta eyed him curiously. "Wait! Your people can repair my ship?"

"I can't guarantee they can repair it if it sustained major damage, but thanks to Dr. Briefs, we can do minor repairs," Moori replied thoughtfully.

Vegeta just stared at him in disbelief.

"What? You thought my people were too primitive to handle machines and spaceships? Now that is hysterical!" Moori commented chuckling.

" _This is unheard of! Never mind their knowledge of technology but why are they so eager to help me? I am not a savior of these people by any means!"_ Vegeta thought to himself troubled as a frown crossed his face.

Moori took notice of the seriousness and stopped laughing. "What is on your mind, Prince Vegeta? Please tell me. I am willing to help as best I can."

" _Again with that title! Why? Why are these people being so….nice to me?"_ Vegeta questioned to himself.

"Tell me in your own words, Elder, why are you doing all this for me? Your people are the last ones I'd have thought to receive aid from," Vegeta finally said with his eyes narrowing in on those of Moori's.

"Well, I could say the same about you. For most of my people, you have shown that you respect fellow warriors even if they are not allies of yours," Moori replied solemnly. "We appreciate your sense of honor as a warrior."

Vegeta dropped his gaze to his feet and just stared at the dirt for a few moments in silence. The wind had picked up in the village and whipped his hair around.

Turning his gaze back to Elder Moori, he replied with "If your people ensure that my ship's gravity chamber is operating; consider my training for the coming battle as a thank you."

Elder Moori looked Vegeta in the eye and asked flatly, "What is it that followed you here?"

"I don't know if I was followed but I am sure it will be a matter of time before they arrive. Days most likely," Vegeta commented. "If you search the stars with your senses, you'll feel hints of at least one large power out there.

"They?" Moori asked.

"Two of Cell's children," Vegeta replied between gritted teeth.

"That being had children?!" Moori exclaimed. "Wait! He has the same cells as we Namekians possess, correct?"

Vegeta nodded and said, "Good to see you're quick to figure things out."

"And their strength?" Moori asked.

"One of them I might be able to handle, but both by myself will certainly mean my and your people's destruction. Only if I better prepare myself, can I have a chance," Vegeta said with finality.

"Very well," Moori stated with complete understanding.

"MY CHILDREN! I MUST SPEAK WITH YOU!" Moori immediately called for all nearby Namekians. In a matter of moments, a crowd of them gathered around including Cargo and Elder Tsuno.

He returned his attention to Vegeta and said, "Go ahead and do what you must and we will do the same!"

Vegeta nodded and replied with, "I may not need to tell you this but I would assume they will be hunting for your dragon balls."

"Yes, I agree. We'll take care of that matter," Moori acknowledged. "I have one request from you however."

"What?" Vegeta replied trying to keep his patience.

Moori looked at Cargo while saying, "I know you'll need support so please contact Cargo when you grow weary. Cargo, go with him and stay with Vegeta until further notice."

"Ok, Elder. I will," Cargo replied nodding in agreement.

"Fine! Let's go already!" Vegeta snapped and grabbing a surprised Cargo by the back of his clothes, charged up a white aura and flew off towards his spaceship.

"Elder! That was extremely rude of him!" one of the villagers commented loudly in disgust!

Elder Moori was initially at a loss for words at Vegeta's brusque action but had to smile in spite of himself.

"Relax, he's just impatient," Moori said. "Anyway, I need you all to listen carefully. We have work to do and little time to do it. Our survival depends on it."

* * *

Gohan had woken up early in the morning before Trunks did to get some more training in and putting on his purple gi, he hopped out his window and gently closed it behind him. It had become easier to go to his Super Saiyan 2 state so he was able to power up quietly and avoid waking a loveable but troublesome baby.

" _Nice to have some quiet! Trunks can sure move around the house fast and get into things he shouldn't!_ " Gohan thought to himself as he worked on shadow boxing invisible opponents in the front yard. " _Mom was surprisingly calm after seeing her dresser turned upside down with him sitting on top and wearing her underwear on his head like a hat._ "

Turning up his speed, Gohan began fighting his invisible opponents while floating further into the sky. After sometime, he noticed the sun rising well above the horizon.

" _After he wakes up and we have breakfast, I think we'll pay Piccolo and Dende a visit. I'm tired of not hearing from them."_ Gohan thought as he floated back to the ground.

He sat down to meditate for a while and as more light dazzled the land in the golden morning glow, Gohan heard the sounds of the baby stirring and calling for him from his window.

Trunks couldn't say his name completely but "Oha" was close enough.

" _Well, at least I got a little workout in. Maybe I can coax Mr. Kibito into another round!_ " Gohan thought to himself smiling as he stood up to go back inside.

He had thought about going up to the Lookout the night before and figuring that Trunks would enjoy another ride on Nimbus, he could give his mom another break.

He told Chi-Chi at breakfast that he wanted to go visit Piccolo and Dende and would take the baby with him.

She wasn't against the idea at all and almost too enthusiastically said, "As long as you're back by dinner, enjoy yourself!"

" _It's almost as if she wanted to get me out of the house!"_ Gohan thought to himself, not long after breakfast, while Trunks sat in his lap enjoying the view of all the clouds they passed. " _I wonder if she's hiding anything from me?"_

He considered it further and decided against it, " _Nah, couldn't be. She's probably just overwhelmed dealing with Trunks and being pregnant."_

He turned his thinking off for a bit and stared out across the open sky and vast open land below.

" _It's so odd that I've heard nothing from Piccolo. I mean, it's been over a week now_ ," he continued pondering.

The casual bouncing of a happy baby in his lap pulled Gohan from his thoughts and he looked down to see the boy clapping his hands and smiling.

"So, little guy, you having fun?" Gohan asked Trunks as they were halfway to the Lookout.

A babbled and happy response told Gohan all he needed.

" _I probably would've heard by now if there was something wrong and I've been feeling for high levels of Ki everyday with nothing to show_ ," his brow furrowed in thought. " _I guess I'll find out soon enough_."

The babbled response began to sound more coherent and pulled him from his thoughts. Gohan looked down to see an eager-looking face staring back up at him.

"Oha, ale?" The baby seemed to say.

Gohan looked at him curiously before it dawned on him. Smiling he willed his golden tail to move within Trunks's reach and the baby happily grabbed at it to swing around.

" _He's definitely Bulma's kid!_ " Gohan thought noting how quickly the baby was picking up on things.

Their approach brought them within a mile of Korin's Tower and catching Gohan off by surprise, Nimbus quickly changed his direction to go straight up into the sky.

"Whoa! I didn't realize we were there already! Hang on Trunks!" Gohan shouted laughing as they ascended rapidly through the atmosphere.

Gohan never noticed a lone figure floating several hundred feet behind that had been trailing him since his departure from home.

Lecs Devison peered at the abrupt ascent of Nimbus and taking in the surrounding area it dawned on him where he had come to.

" _So this was their hideout?_ " He thought with amusement. " _Now it's all starting to make sense!_ "

* * *

Somewhere out in the vast open plains of New Namek, Kasma and his three followers had been working to increase their power like Vegeta but for a different purpose.

Though not as bulky as some of his other brothers, Kasma showed similar features to his long gone brother and hero, Nail.

Kasma had been training diligently since his time spent on Earth. He quickly achieved Nail's peak strength roughly two years before the android threat and had been climbing rapidly since then.

Now he hoped to push, in his eyes alone, some of his more prospective brothers to aspire to those heights of power and beyond. Only then could they ensure the safety of their people in an unforgiving universe.

" _That Saiyan will be dealt with shortly. All we need is a little more time to get their spirits ready for the battle! It's because of him we need to push this hard and I won't ever forgive him for what he has done!"_ Kasma thought to himself as he inspected his comrades' endurance during their intense training. " _I will push them beyond what they think they are capable of and we will be victorious!_ "

"Alright you guys ready for another round?" Kasma hailed at his bloody and sweat dripping brothers who stood opposite him a few feet away.

"We are!" Masa, the bulkiest of the group replied while panting.

"Yes!" Lian, the shortest of the trio shouted.

"Bring it on!" Roma, with the closest size and stature to Kasma, yelled back!

"Alright, come at me once more!" Kasma replied and charged up a white aura around his body. Though not nearly as winded and battered as his brothers in front of him, Kasma still felt bruised and sore in many places.

All three comrades powered up their remaining energy and rushed at Kasma. Grass and dirt exploded under them with the strength of their auras.

Masa was in the lead and struck first at Kasma with his right arm thrusting forward to punch him in the face.

Kasma, with his aura billowing around him furiously, sidestepped the incoming punch and acting quickly he jumped and slammed his right knee into Masa's stomach as Masa flew past.

Masa dropped his aura almost instantly from the pain and crashed on the ground clutching his stomach. He coughed up blood immediately.

Kasma didn't linger in his brief victory as he quickly landed and without hesitation roundhouse kicked Masa in the face with his right leg.

Masa couldn't react to defend himself and tumbled backwards head over heels several dozen times before he collapsed sprawled out in the dirt tens of yards from Kasma.

Lian and Roma had closed in on Kasma at the same time and began throwing a barrage of punches and kicks at him.

Being quick on his feet Kasma managed to block or evade every attempted hit, but it seemed that they were getting more rapid with each swing. Kasma began lulling them both into doing repetitive motions of these punches and kicks.

After several seconds of dodging and evading he saw a lag in one of Roma's attacks and seizing opportunity, he phased out of their sight to momentarily vanish.

"Where did he-?" Roma began before Kasma reappeared in front of him as if never leaving and immediately grabbed at Roma's head and slammed it into his right knee several times over.

Roma's body went limp and Kasma, feeling the lack of resistance, let his body fall to the ground with a loud THUMP!

Kasma then turned to face Lian who had jumped back a couple yards to get distance from Kamsa.

Lian charged up a ball of Ki in each of his hands at his side and letting them grow to the size of a bowling ball, threw them both one after another at Kasma.

Kasma quickly batted the energy balls away as if blocking incoming punches. The energy balls flew off in an arc to his left and right and exploded into giant domes of Ki and dust upon hitting the ground several hundred feet in either direction.

Lian used the diversion to fly at Kasma with a final assault and fired a third ball of Ki at Kasma to further distract him. Kasma held up both his hands to buffer the attack but at the last second of its approach, the energy ball dropped into the ground and exploded the area in smoke and dust.

Lian disappeared into the dust created by the surprise explosion and connected his fists with something solid. Lian quickly followed with repeated fist punches as he pummeled his target with blow after blow.

Kasma had been surprised and initially blinded by the sudden dirt explosion in his face. The next thing he knew, his face and stomach were being pounded with a barrage of punches.

As the battering continued, Kasma managed to fight through the painful beatings and struck out with a jab and then a punch each going over Lian's arms to block them and then connect with his face. The momentary stun was all Kasma needed to back away several feet and outside the dust cloud.

He quickly began charging up small balls of Ki in his hands and firing into the dissipating dust cloud. Kasma pelted Lian with a barrage of his own energy and they all exploded over and over upon hitting Lian.

Lian was barely able to defend against the surge of energy as he raised both his arms to shield his face and stomach. Dirt debris exploded all around his body, mostly blinding all his senses.

Satisfied with his own smoke screen, Kasma powered up a bigger ball of energy by putting his hands together in front of him, palms facing Lian, and as the dust began to clear once more, Kasma fired a beam of yellow energy as big as he was tall toward his comrade.

Lian had little time to prepare as the beam engulfed his body and he was easily carried backward with the energy flow. Lian fought desperately to keep the energy from absorbing him in it as he put up a last ditch effort to tear his body from the flow.

Only after a few moments of intense struggling did he manage to break off of the energy beam and fall into the water of a lake he had been carried over with a big splash.

Mere seconds later, Kasma's beam collided with a faraway hill and exploded the land feature into a mushroom cloud of rocks and dirt.

Kasma was feeling a bit more tired after his bout with Lian but compared to his comrades, his stamina was leagues above.

Kasma waited patiently as Lian resurfaced and then struggled to float out of the water. He also looked around and caught sight of the other two struggling to even stand up. Clearly they had reached their limits.

" _I still need to push them but we have been going at it for nearly an entire earth's day. I'll give them time to recover before we try again!"_

"ENOUGH!" Kasma shouted, "We will rest up for now and resume after you have regained your stamina!"

"But we only just managed to wind you this time!" Lian called as he slowly floated over toward where Kasma stood, panting all the way.

Compared to Masa and Roma, he was the most ready to continue.

"Yes and that is much better than the previous few times but if I push you any further, you may not recover at all. Let us rest for now!" Kasma replied.

After some time of allowing his comrades to gather themselves and rinse off their blood and sweat soaked bodies, they all sat under a grove of bushy trees to rest.

"How do we know that what we are doing will be enough?" Lian asked. "The Saiyan seems to be even stronger than you had expected."

"I agree," Roma chimed in. "Even with all four of us ganging up on him, it may be futile when he transforms into that golden state."

"I have put much thought into it and we have some options to choose from," Kasma replied after sighing heavily. "We must take him by surprise when his guard is down after I get you guys as close to my level as possible."

"But we don't have much time do we? What if he decides to go on a rampage again at any moment?" Masa questioned.

"I don't know. Either he really has changed his ways or he was bluffing me until the right moment struck," Kasma mused out loud crossing his arms in deep thought.

"Regardless, he must pay for his crimes and I want to carry out his sentence sooner than later!" Kasma said determinedly as he comrades nodded in agreement.

"What other options do we have if we can't catch him off guard?" Lian asked somewhat afraid that they might all fail.

"Our last resort and one I would only do if I was certain there was no alternative: the Namekian Fusion," Kasma replied with finality.

* * *

Vegeta's quick arrival at his now upturned spaceship caught the half a dozen Namekians by surprise.

Vegeta landed on the ramp leading up to the ship, and letting Cargo drop to his feet, he marched into the ship to inspect the progress thus far.

All work ceased and their eyes fell on him with wariness as he entered. Vegeta was slightly relieved to see the gravity machine in near working order.

"Have you fixed everything that was damaged?" He asked catching their eyes as if it were a normal day in life.

Several seconds of silence before a Namekian at the gravity machine replied with, "Well, we've repaired your training machine and patched some of the minor scratches on the exterior of the ship."

Vegeta eyed him with regard and said more gruffly, "It sounds like there's something of major concern you're not telling me. Just spit it out already!"

After a few more seconds of silence, another Namekian behind him piped up, "It's your engine thrusters. They were crushed. You won't be able to fire them up at all and I don't know if we have the right materials on this planet to repair them."

"I see," Vegeta said in a noticeably dejected tone of voice. "But is there enough power to run my gravity machine?"

The guy standing by the machine walked away from it and said, "There is enough power for this thing to run for days, you just won't be able to leave the planet in the ship's current state," He said solemnly.

"Good enough. You can all leave the ship as is for now. I need to use it at once!" Vegeta ordered. "Speak with Cargo outside for my reasons why if you want to know."

He promptly turned away from them and went to start up the gravity machine for his training session.

The six Namekians turned to walk outside slightly grumbling as they went and as the last guy exited Vegeta called out a gruff, "And uh, thanks!" before shutting the door behind the completely caught off guard Namekians.

"Alright now that I can train in peace, let's set the gravity back at 350x Earth's gravity." Vegeta said aloud as he keyed in the settings.

The room immediately felt heavier and after several moments of waiting, the pressure of 350x Earth's gravity practically crashed down on Vegeta and nearly forced him to his knees.

Vegeta struggled for several seconds to stand as he fought the heavy pressure.

Panting slightly but at his full height, he lifted his foot one at a time to get used to walking in the heavy atmosphere again.

" _This should be nothing! I need to go higher!_ " Vegeta thought to himself as he struggled to lift his arms and punch at the thin air in front of him. He soon started to sweat under the strain.

For nearly half an hour, Vegeta continued to fight against the great weight and pressure doing only the simplest of punches and blocks with imaginary opponents.

After multiple attempts, it became clear that he had to scale back his exertion and dropped his arms to his side in exhaustion. " _Great! I have no choice but to get used to this level all over again! Alright, fine! I'll just move about the room as if I were on Earth going for a walk!_

Relenting to his inability to go at full capacity, Vegeta spent the next several hours doing laps around the chamber.

Occasionally he would attempt to punch or kick while pivoting on his feet and several instances early on in this training method, it almost proved fatal. He couldn't maintain his center of gravity and fell onto the floor leaving dents nearly a foot deep where he crashed.

It took Vegeta everything he had not to transform as he pushed against the weight to get back on his feet. Vegeta grunted through the falls and through sheer will, he was able to increase his mobility from stomping around to gradually a normal walking pace.

Finally feeling more capable, Vegeta slowly stretched out his right hand in front of him and began charging up a Ki ball.

At first he was able to get a small orb the size of a tennis ball to appear but it only stayed for a few seconds before quickly fading away.

Concentrating and grunting, Vegeta willed it to grow back to the size of a tennis ball. He put more force into the energy causing it to slowly grow bigger and bigger until it was as wide as his hand.

He struggled to maintain its from and his frustration caused an aura of white Ki to begin forming around his body. Grunts turned into yells and then finally screams as the aura grew with his rage.

Vegeta managed to detach the ball of Ki from his palm and make it hover several feet in front of him. Smirking and panting he pushed with all his concentration to get the ball of energy to move further.

Unfortunately he forced too much pressure on it and only at the last second did he brace himself as an explosion of energy promptly flung Vegeta backwards against the wall of the spaceship.

"GAHH!" was all he could utter as his body slammed against the wall creating an indent in it nearly as thick as his own body.

"DAMN IT!" Vegeta yelled as pain from the blast and the force of hitting the wall stung at his body.

"This is intolerable! How can I progress at a rate like this?!" He spat frustrated while trying to tear himself from the wall. Slowly, he worked his muscles to free himself but couldn't push the metal that had wrapped around his arms.

With a heavy sigh, Vegeta forced his aura to explode around him and managed to break free of the wall, landing a few feet from the central controls.

Extreme exhaustion took over his body and Vegeta had to fight once again to keep from succumbing to the gravity.

He heard several shouts from outside and turned to one of the nearby windows to see Cargo peering in at him with concern. Cargo imitated gestures for water or healing and Vegeta shook his head sharply to decline.

Cargo took the hint and left his sight without a word.

"I don't need to be coddled like a helpless child!"Vegeta growled to the room around him.

In his frustration, Vegeta's eyes fell across the clock on the gravity machine and noted that it had indeed been several hours since entering the ship.

" _Ok, so at least he knows to not constantly check in on me! But still, I need to be further along before I even consider taking a break!_ " Vegeta thought as his ability to move more fluidly increased at too slow a pace for his liking. " _Time is limited but I'm barely getting anywhere like this!"_

His brain whirred with trying to find a solution but couldn't find anything that he hadn't already tried or discarded as useless.

As he tried brainstorming more ideas, a somewhat plausible but not wanted name appeared in his mind. " _No! I refuse to use that idiot's ideas! Just the thought of it makes me sick!_ "

Vegeta still couldn't think of anything for himself and begrudgingly relented. " _Argh, fine! I have nothing to lose at this point. What would Kakarot do?_ "

Like a torrent of water, thoughts rushed through with Goku's methods of training over the years. Vegeta suddenly remembered how relaxed Goku always seemed, especially just before the Cell Games.

" _If you think torturing your body is the same as training, then go for it! I wish you'd take my advice, Vegeta."_ He recalled Goku saying to him.

"He decided to take it easy and not overdo it. And even now the Namekian Elder here is telling me the same…" Vegeta said aloud.

Reluctantly, Vegeta decided to go with the idea, and taking a deep breath he worked to calm his body.

" _Truth be told, his methods always did make some sense."_

It seemed to work in his favor as he felt the heaviness of the gravity slacken.

He then continued breathing and exhaling to further relax to the point of almost going limp. Feeling the heavy gravity begin to work against him again, Vegeta tensed slightly.

" _But he's always been a complete moron and too soft hearted for his own good! Alright, so I just need relax to a level a little above this…"_ Vegeta thought with understanding as he exerted more control over himself.

After several minutes of trial and error he realized that his body was adapting and he could move with greater ease.

" _So, being less tense but still retaining some control does work. That explains so much the more I think about it!_ " Vegeta thought to himself begrudgingly. _"It's so basic but still goes completely against all my years of training to get where I am now! This will definitely be difficult to master after doing it the opposite way for so long."_

* * *

"Is the cocoon really that hard to find?" Gohan asked with surprise.

He stood in the center of the Lookout talking with Piccolo while Trunks waddled around chasing butterflies. Dende was keeping a close eye on the fast moving baby.

"You can ask him yourself when he returns. Supreme Kai should be back in the next few minutes," Piccolo replied feeling frustrated.

In the background Master Roshi could be heard snoring as his attempt at meditating had relaxed him too much. Splayed over his lap were a few magazines from his own personal collection.

"I'll never understand how my father before me was afraid of someone like him! Your father is more tolerable!" Piccolo commented with disgust.

Gohan just smiled and chuckled at the thought, knowing his teacher's temper.

"I've been trying to sense out beyond Earth and I haven't felt any major powers coming to us so I wouldn't worry too much Piccolo," Gohan said.

"I know but it's nerve wrecking regardless," Piccolo replied with a sigh.

He and Gohan suddenly heard a strange noise and turned their heads to Piccolo's right to see shimmering and a sudden flash of light.

The Supreme Kai arrived with a smile on his face.

"Ah! Gohan! I thought I felt your presence here!" Shin said rather cheerfully. "This will save us time!"

"So, I take it you have some good news then?" Piccolo asked with surprise on his face.

"Yes. We've located Majin Buu's cocoon and Kibito is currently trying to dig it up. I will go back momentarily to help but so far everything is looking good!" Shin replied calmly but happily.

"Does it need to be removed completely for you take it? Can't you just touch it and move it with you?" Gohan asked.

"We don't want to risk waking Majin Buu by any means so once we get it out, Kibito and I will seal it in an energy barrier first," Shin explained. "Then when we're sure it is secure, we'll teleport it back to the home world of the Kais."

"But Babidi will still come here regardless?" Piccolo asked still concerned.

"Yes, without a doubt," Shin replied gravely. "I will return to Earth after I have ensured the cocoon is being well guarded and wait here until he does come. I want to make sure for myself that he has been defeated."

"How much longer until you take the cocoon away from Earth?" Gohan questioned while his eyes half following Trunks around the Lookout.

"Hmm, we should finish in three of your Earth hours at this rate," Shin replied thinking it over.

"That's some of the best news I've heard all day!" Piccolo exclaimed.

He immediately turned to Gohan and said, "Well, since you're here, let's get some more training underway!"

"Uh, ok Piccolo. What did you have mind?" Gohan asked slightly nervous.

"I've been thinking on it the past few days and I got an idea. Increasing control of yourself in that form has improved dramatically, so we should take it a step further now," Piccolo said. "Flare up your aura."

"Ok," Gohan replied and backed away from everyone by a couple yards to be safe. Willing his Ki to billow up, his body was instantly wrapped in a flashing golden aura with blue electricity crackling around him.

"Those electric sparks that envelop your body in that form; find a way to control them!" Piccolo insisted.

Gohan looked down at his body and arms and watched as the blue sparks appeared and disappeared around his body at random intervals.

"Okay, let me see what I can do," Gohan replied as he turned around with his back to everyone and raised his right hand as if to fire a Ki beam across the Lookout.

Gohan concentrated hard and tried to pull the electric energy to his palm as it danced around him.

Slowly but surely, he felt the electric blue charges converge at the center of his right palm. Taking a chance at trying to condense it to a point, Gohan willed the energy to charge in front of him for firing.

The unpredictable nature of his electricity combined with his first use of it in this manner made a giant spider web of blue electricity explode in front of him uncontrollably and create a huge cloud of smoke.

"Is anyone hurt?!" Gohan shouted fearfully while looking around to see if everybody was alright.

As he turned around Gohan sighed in relief as he saw that everyone, even Trunks, was far enough back from him that they were safe.

When Gohan lost control of his power, he unintentionally charred about a quarter of the Lookout's surface.

"Everyone was behind and away from you so we're all good," Shin replied with a grunt from behind a thin and barely visible barrier.

"I got a few feet behind you and put up a barrier the instant I saw your attempt to control and fire that energy," he added, his hands held in a blocking position with palms facing Gohan's back. "I guess it's a good thing I did."

Piccolo was at a loss for words and just stood staring in shock with sweat running down his cheeks as Shin let the barrier fizzle out.

He finally managed to get out an "Incredible!" at what had just happened in front of him.

"I guess I've found a new ability to work on!" Gohan said sheepishly.

"Yes, well maybe you should start with feeling out and moving those electric currents around your body first," Shin suggested.

"I agree but do it away from the rest of us for the time being!" Piccolo added as he finally found his voice.

A sudden and loud yell erupted nearby and everyone turned to see Master Roshi frantically dancing around and beating at his smoking and slightly charred beard with his fists.

"YOW! What was that all about?!" Roshi screamed.

Piccolo couldn't help but give a snort of laughter. "I think your beard got off easy! Your reading materials weren't so lucky!"

"What?!" Roshi exclaimed as he looked down at his pile of magazines now a smoldering pile of embers.

"AUGHH! My beauties! Why Gohan?! Why?!" He cried as tears filled his eyes.

Gohan just put his right hand behind his head rubbing at it and gave an all too familiar apologetic grin while saying, "Whoops! Sorry Mater Roshi!"

* * *

Vegeta spent another couple of hours attempting to hone his skills without being so tense all the time and it paved the way for progress. He began feeling confident enough to go to a higher level at 380x Earth's gravity.

That confidence was assured when taking a second try at firing a Ki blast, not only did it shoot out of his palm as if in normal gravity, but he was able to have the energy ball circle around the room.

Vegeta willed its speed to increase and began working to dodge it at faster and faster rates. He half willed it to target him and being his own energy and now prey, it obliged with full intent of not stopping until it made contact.

"Now that's more like it!" Vegeta shouted with bravado. "Bring it on!"

As if showing a temper all its own, the Ki energy flew at him more rapidly and nearly collided with the cocky prince. After several more close shaves, Vegeta decided to let the ball of energy hit him.

On its final arc around the room, the energy ball honed in on Vegeta and taking the opportunity, he let out a roar and wrapped his body in a sphere of energy just in time to collide with the small speedy orb.

The force between the two caused an explosion of light that rocked the ship and even grabbed Cargo's attention outside who had been sitting in the grass nearby the ship while trying to meditate.

"Whoaa!" He yelled as the force of Vegeta's training had sent him somersaulting backwards several feet before landing with a heavy thud on his back.

Vegeta looked around the room as the effects of his energies colliding subsided and noticed many more cracks in the walls of the ship and couldn't help but smirk at his own achievements. " _I may have to get them to repair this ship sooner than later at this rate! Well, let's push it to 380x Earth's gravity before I do that though!"_

Suddenly, another and louder knock came from outside the ship. "Honestly, doesn't that kid realize I need all the time I can get!" he growled loudly.

Vegeta did feel a bit winded after a huge victory. He glanced at the clock and noticed how much time had passed since beginning. As if to further force the issue, his stomach began growling for food.

Reluctantly and giving a protesting sigh, Vegeta walked to the central controls and reduced the gravity to normal levels.

" _Admittedly, I'm starting to feel weary. Fine! I'll follow the Namekian Elder's guidance! I should probably have Cargo heal me anyway."_

* * *

As the Cell Junior calling himself Six powered up a red blast of energy in his right palm, he began increasing the size from that of a baseball to several times the size of a boulder and finally one equal to a decent sized mountain.

"Are you sure you don't want to search anymore? I know there are at least a couple hundred of that species left alive down there," Seven said over the sound of the giant energy ball.

"You got me curious and eager to seek out that ship! What's a couple hundred more going to do at this point?" Six replied as he willed the beam to propel toward the planet now beneath him and his brother. "We'll find plenty other places after this anyway!"

The giant energy beam collided with the planet and all remaining survivors who watched its decent cried out in terror. Their sky changed drastically from blue to a deep red color before they were engulfed in the energy.

They were all caught up in and immediately obliterated by the huge ball as it collided with the planet's surface. It didn't stop its descent and drilled a monstrous hole in the planet's crust before reaching the molten interior.

Upon hitting the molten rock an explosion rocked the interior and created a web of fire and Ki energy shooting in all directions from the planet's core. The entire planet exploded within a matter of minutes.

As rocky remnants shot in all directions from the former planet's location, many planets both near and far would become the new home of the fragmented meteorites.

"Show off!" Seven said with a hint of annoyance. "You almost got debris all over us!"

"Oh come on! If I didn't you would've done the same! You're jealous I beat you to it!" Six replied smugly.

"Ok fine! Let's retrace our flight back to where we were before we came here!" Seven retorted in a huff.

Six looked past his brother and peered out into the darkness of space back in the general direction they had come from. His gaze also followed some of the remnants of exploding rocks.

"It's faint at this distance but there is at least one fairly strong being that way," Six said feeling excited.

Seven followed his brother's eyes and turned to look in the same direction. His senses searching out, he too began to feel a strong power emanating from that direction.

"I agree! Let's go check it out!" Six replied excitedly.

Without another word between the two of them, the Cell Juniors powered up their auras and sped off towards the source of their new entertainment.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

I didn't forget just been bouncing between the story and life.

Another chapter is nearly finished and should be out much much quicker, in the next day or two.


	24. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer**

All original content is owned by Akira Toriyama and his affiliates.

 **Chapter 23:**

Vegeta hit the button to open the front door of the spaceship and walked out to feel fresh, cool air rush in to greet him.

Oddly enough, the fresh feeling was worth the break in training. " _I'll indulge the kid for a few minutes and then I'll continue. At the rate I'm going, 400x Earth's gravity is even a foreseeable goal!_ "

"Alright, Cargo, what is it?" Vegeta asked still feeling slightly annoyed.

Cargo was standing at the bottom of the ramp holding a small bag.

"Well, you've been going nonstop for most of the day and after that quake I thought you pushed past your limit," he replied feeling a little nervous. "I thought you'd want a recharge."

"I brought food supplies with me," Vegeta replied more tersely than he meant to be.

"Um, yeah about those…" Cargo began saying timidly.

"DON'T TELL ME THEY WERE DESTROYED?!" Vegeta suddenly shouted angrily and rushed to stand inches from Cargo's face.

Cargo jumped back in shock briefly. Quickly regaining his composure, he gave a nervous smile while anxiously replying, "We salvaged what we could and put them in some of those capsules that Dr. Briefs sent with us! I have a lot with me!"

His temper subsiding as quick as it appeared, Vegeta calmly but firmly said, "Alright! You should've said so in the first place! Can I have some of them?"

"Some? We don't eat this food but isn't one enough? It looks as if one holds the amount to feed five humans!" Cargo exclaimed.

"So? That's why I had so much food stocked in the ship! I A Saiyan can eat a whole lot more than several humans. Surely Dende told you about our huge appetites!" Vegeta replied holding out his right hand with growing impatience.

Cargo's mind was immediately filled with Dende's recounting of how much food Gohan had eaten and hurriedly pulled several capsules out of the bag and just as quickly handed them to Vegeta.

Vegeta wasted no time opening them and as explosions of food that would feed over a dozen people appeared at his feet, he quickly sat down and began enjoying a much needed meal.

As Vegeta indulged in all the food, Cargo watched with shock and amazement at how quickly he devoured all the rice, meat, and assortments of desserts in front of him.

As he ate the delicious food, Vegeta noticed how peculiarly Cargo was staring at him. It set off his easily lit temper once more.

" _Honestly! Has nobody ever seen someone who's close to starving, eat before?!_ " He thought further fueling his anger.

Having enough of the kid just watching with his mouth agape, Vegeta swallowed one of his bites and said "I won't be bothered with your slacked jaw! If you really want something you better get it before it's gone!"

That seemed to call Cargo back to the present as he said "Oh, my people don't really eat this stuff."

Cargo was still awestruck as nearly half of it was gone at this point. "We don't need it."

Vegeta paused after swallowing a huge chunk of beef and said incredulously "You don't need it?"

"No. We did get to enjoy some odd and tasty foods on Earth but I guess you can call it unnecessary for us. We just need water to survive," Cargo added with a quick smile. "You mean you've never noticed it with our brother Piccolo?"

Vegeta stared at him in surprise, " _How bizarre! He's right actually! I've never once seen Piccolo eat anything much more than a few bites at a time._ "

"That doesn't make any sense! I eat to refuel myself, aside from enjoying how it tastes. How do you get your energy on only water?" Vegeta asked with pure curiosity.

"Um, well. I wouldn't know the right answer but I guess it's like how the trees on our planet get their energy from the rain?" Cargo replied with a smile.

Vegeta pondered it over and said, "Interesting. Considering your people are capable of re-growing broken body parts…"

Vegeta suddenly eyed him with a look of bewilderment before finally shrugging it off. " _No, not important. Speculation for another time! I need to get back to training!"_

He returned his attention to the food that was spread out before him.

"Where are the other Namekians who were working on my ship?" Vegeta asked as he was nearly finished eating.

"They sought Grand Elder Moori once I told them what was going on. They're probably getting word out about the incoming threat," Cargo replied. "One of my brothers came to give me that bag of capsules and that's why I called for you again."

Finishing his meal and feeling satisfied, Vegeta got back to his feet and began returning to the ship. "Fair enough. I've got more to do so you can either wait out here until I need anything from you or go on back to your village."

"Well, Elder Moori told me to stay here, so I'm prepared to do so!" Cargo said. "And besides, you'll need my help to get back to your full strength if you go too far with your training."

Vegeta eyed him curiously and felt a strange connection with the Namekian child. " _This kid is loyal without a fault. I could see lots of potential if he was a warrior._ "

"Fine. I'm assuming you can keep track of time like how it passes on Earth?" Vegeta asked.

Cargo nodded without saying anything.

"Good. If you don't hear anything from me in the next twelve Earth hours, then I want you to hit the big button next to the door and open it," Vegeta commanded. "That should also turn off the gravity machine."

Cargo nodded and said, "Sure thing." while Vegeta entered back into his spaceship to pick up where he left off.

* * *

As Vegeta continued to his training; the Namekians Kasma, Masa, Lian, and Roma were also fully engulfed in their own and were finishing up another successful bout of sparring.

"Well, my friends it seems you have improved yourselves greatly in the past few years, let alone the past couple of days," Kasma commented proudly to his comrades who stood in front of him, their eyes focused on him as if their lives depended on it.

"Yes!" they all cried in unison. Though their outward appearances showed that all three Namekians had seen rough times, their spirits were high and their resolve further strengthened by Kasma's encouragement.

"I wish we had more time than has been given to us but we cannot delay much longer," Kasma continued speaking with a now grave voice.

"I feel the power of that Saiyan has grown tremendously since our last encounter and it will continue to do so if we do not strike him soon! Do you all feel it now?" Kasma asked of them.

His brothers paused to feel Ki signals and as Vegeta had decided to test his Super Saiyan power under the heavy weight of 380x Earth's gravity, all four Namekian warriors felt it grow from their far away location.

"I do." Lian said and Masa and Roma nodded in agreement. Their foreheads were brimming with more sweat at the realization.

"I know we are not at full power right now and charging into battle with that monster at present would be foolhardy at best," Kasma said while balling his hands into fists.

"Perhaps we rest now for as long as we can and let the Saiyan tire himself out so we have a chance?" Masa inquired.

"That seems like the most viable option to us," Lian said in response.

"I unfortunately agree at the moment," Kasma said. "He also can detect Ki signals so he would feel us coming at him."

"Perhaps we use our remaining stamina now to head towards him so that he can't detect us as easily?" Roma proposed.

All the other Namekians looked at him with wonder and Kasma replied, "Yes! That might do it! But I still have a lot of energy."

"So let's do it this way. The three of us go on ahead while you stay here and rest. When we get to a comfortable enough distance to strike, we'll rest also. Then, whoever is the most ready can strike at him first and the rest of us can follow!" Lian added with gusto.

The others contemplated it for a few moments before Masa spoke in his gruffest voice, "Let's do it! Even if Kasma isn't the first to attack, our combined efforts will catch that guy off guard!"

"Alright brothers it's decided! I'll create one last diversion before resting myself," Kasma said determinedly. "Then we will meet when the battle has commenced!"

Masa, Roma, and Lian gave nods of consent and began floating into the air towards Vegeta's ship.

"Good luck to us all!" Kasma shouted at them as he watched his brothers depart.

"Alright! Just to ensure that Saiyan doesn't catch wind of this…,"Kasma began.

He quickly powered up his remaining Ki and channeled all of his energy into a massively dense yellow ball between his palms. Facing the opposite of his departing brothers, Kasma roared and directing the ball at a far off plateau, fired the densely glowing Ki ball in the plateau's direction.

It collided with the land feature and exploded the plateau and several miles of landscape surrounding it, into a mushroom cloud of dirt. Kasma stood panting in exhaustion but kept his aura flashing around his body.

" _There! I'll keep this going for a bit longer and it should deceive the Saiyan if he gets curious about our movements_ ," Kasma thought with strong resolve. " _It won't be long now. I will spill his blood for all my brothers he killed!_ "

* * *

Vegeta had actually felt Kasma's power as planned but was barely concerned with it.

"Tch. That guy is as stupid as I am strong!" Vegeta commented as he back flipped around the gravity chamber dodging an imaginary opponent's attacks. Upon landing on the wall, Vegeta used it as a springboard to lunge at the image of Cell he conjured in front of him.

"If that was all that Namekian has to give, I have nothing to worry about from him!" Vegeta said aloud as he punched out at the image of Cell. The image melted away as Vegeta landed on his feet breathing heavily.

"Geez, I've been at this for another couple of hours and even all that food hasn't made me feel fully recharged," Vegeta said between deep breaths and paused to feel out his muscles. "I'm winded but I've definitely grown more accustomed to 380x Earth's gravity."

Vegeta relinquished his Super Saiyan strength and felt a stronger tug from the gravity but its impact on his body was far less than that of a few hours prior.

Somewhat satisfied and smirking, he walked over to the center console and shut off the gravity.

"I guess I am finally ready for 400x Earth's gravity. Still, a quick nap couldn't hurt," Vegeta said to himself.

Testing his speed Vegeta decided to do a quick jog over to one of the seats where the flying controls were. The thought barely passed through his mind before Vegeta was nearly tripping over the back of one of the seats.

"So I've improved for sure!" Vegeta declared with pride and sat in the seat he nearly tumbled over. With his feelings of accomplishment and being exhausted, it didn't take more than a couple of minutes for him to fall into a fast and deep sleep.

All through Vegeta's training Cargo had been either meditating or dozing off. Still being a Namekian child, his willingness to devote to a given task far outweighed what his body could actually accomplish.

He caught himself dozing several times over before finally letting sleep take him and he too was gone to the world around him.

Several more hours passed as both slept away their exhaustion. If it weren't for Cargo's meditations he may never have woken up to the feeling of strong Ki signatures nearby.

Three strong presences approaching with the intent to kill brought him to his senses with a start. Cargo quickly got to his feet and rushed to the ship's door with his only thoughts on getting Vegeta's attention.

Cargo frantically pushed the button and the door opened with the ramp stretching down to the ground. Wasting no time, Cargo hurried up the ramp and into the giant chamber.

He caught sight of Vegeta resting peacefully and quickly ran over to wake him.

"Prince Vegeta! Wake up! Hurry!" Cargo began shouting while grabbing Vegeta's armor and attempting to shake him awake.

As Vegeta was pulled from his dreams of fighting strong opponents, the sounds of Cargo shouting at him and being jostled brought the sleeping Saiyan to waking.

"What do you-" Vegeta began to say angrily before his senses picked up on fast approaching masses of Ki.

Mere moments before Vegeta was woken up; Masa, Roma, and Lian landed quietly in the dirt several hundred feet from the ship.

They all stood several yards apart in a lined formation. Giving each other a final nod that said "Let's do this!" they each brought their hands together as if cupping something and passed their hands to their left sides while charging Ki.

With the Ki energy charging to maximum levels near each Namekian's left waist, they unanimously shouted "FOR NAMEK!" and thrust their Ki laden palms toward the spaceship unleashing giant yellow beams as wide as a Namekian house.

The beams rushed at the ship while merging together into an even bigger energy beam and exploded in a dome of dirt, rocks, and grass upon hitting their target.

Several small quakes were generated in the general area and got the attention of all Namekians in Elder Moori's Village.

None of the three Namekian warriors felt winded after that attack as adrenaline had taken over. Without a word, all three simultaneously charged up their auras and sprinted at high speeds towards their target as the debris settled.

Not completely surprised to see a shadowy figure standing amid the receding dust as they approached the destruction; Masa, Lian, and Roma came to a halt mere feet away.

The dust was suddenly forced away by the white aura of Vegeta. His eyes narrowed at the three brothers and his face contorted into a scowl.

Cargo was slung over Vegeta's right shoulder like a sack of flour, his body limp and unconscious.

"You don't know when to quit do you?!" Vegeta snarled at the three Namekian warriors.

"This kid could've been killed by your stupidity!" His voice rose to yelling.

Their eyes fell upon Cargo but none spoke a word.

"Well, aren't you going to say anything?!" Vegeta demanded.

"If he dies in our plight against you, we will wish him back with the dragon balls!" Lian said with anger of his own.

"You can't hide behind our more defenseless people any longer, monster! Now DIE!" Masa roared before lunging at Vegeta with his left hand reaching to punch the Saiyan in his face.

He caught Vegeta slightly by surprise and Vegeta moved back to avoid the incoming fist. Masa quickly lunged after Vegeta and began engaging in repeated jab, punch, and kick combinations.

Though shocked at their blatant willingness to get at him regardless of who was in the way, Vegeta easily dodged the incoming barrage of attacks while holding on to Cargo.

"Where is your sense of HONOR?!" Vegeta shouted after dodging enough times to lull Masa into a pattern.

Vegeta seized the opportunity to shift slightly to Masa's left side as he lunged with another left punch and kicked the Namekian hard in his armpit.

Masa couldn't defend the kick, let alone the force of Vegeta's hard pressed training crashing into him, and was easily sent flying backwards tens of feet before skidding to a halt in the grass. He lay there clutching at his side while moaning in pain.

Vegeta took the chance to quickly search for a safe place for Cargo to recover. His eyes fell upon a nearby giant boulder and rushed over to deposit Cargo's body well behind the thick wall of rock. " _Dragon balls or not! They have no honor as true warriors!_ "

Vegeta returned to the open field in seconds and was immediately assaulted by a barrage of yellow KI beams.

Dirt and rock exploded all around him as some of the Ki balls seemed to miss him on purpose.

" _A smoke screen for them to sneak up on me, huh? Clever if I were a weaker being!_ " Vegeta thought as he reached deep inside of him for his Super Saiyan powers.

"THIS HAS GONE ON LONG ENOUGH!" Vegeta roared as his Super Saiyan strength exploded from inside and blew away the smoke screen of dirt around him.

As his power cleared the air around him, Vegeta caught sight of Lian and Roma attempting to flank him from his left and right simultaneously.

Vegeta quickly stretched his hands out toward both Namekian warriors with the palms of his left and right hands facing Lian and Roma.

They reacted too slowly to dodge and were each caught up in and promptly blasted away by huge beams of yellow Ki hundreds of feet in opposite directions.

Far off explosions of more giant rocks and dirt erupted while Vegeta just stared straight in front of him.

Kasma had appeared in the sky while his comrades were being knocked around.

Vegeta dropped his hands to his side and clenched them into fists.

Kasma descended from the sky in a violent white aura and landed several feet opposite Vegeta with it still flashing strong.

"I wouldn't have to practically obliterate you or your comrades if you would simply drop this pointless battle!" Vegeta shouted at Kasma.

"No, Saiyan! It is far from pointless!" Kasma retorted. "You must pay for your crimes and we will make sure you do!"

"YOU CAN'T WIN!" Vegeta roared back. "Your friends have been beaten and pose no threat to me! And I know your own level of power, while impressive, pales compared to my own!"

Kasma just gave a devilish smile in return as Masa stumbled to his side.

"Just wait for my other brothers to return and I'm sure we can give you a challenge I know you'd enjoy!" Kasma replied.

As he spoke Lian and Roma flew back over and they too landed near where Masa and Kasma stood. Sweating, badly bruised, and with the top half of their outfits shredded, they still looked eager to continue the fight.

"We will give you this one last chance to surrender, Vegeta. Do so and your death will be swift!" Kasma said, his smile replaced with a frown.

"If you want to throw your lives away so badly then come at me with all you've got!" Vegeta replied powering up. "I'm not going to hold back if you do!"

"So be it!" Kasma shouted back over Vegeta's exploding aura. He turned to his brothers once more.

"Are you guys willing and ready?" Kasma said seriously.

"Yes! We'd gladly die for you!" Lian, Masa, and Roma said in unison.

"Alright then. Lian, Roma, I'll place each of my hands on your chests. Masa, place your hand on mine," Kasma commanded.

They all did as they were told and began charging their auras once more.

"Fill me with your might my brothers!" Kasma shouted.

His comrades' bodies began glowing alternating colors of bright light-blue and white.

Kasma became engulfed in white light himself as his comrades merged their powers with his own.

As his comrades screamed during the fusion, Kasma screamed at the onslaught of power he was feeling flow into him.

Vegeta watched the entire process while shielding his eyes from the intensity of the light show. It finally dawned on him what was happening as Kasma began screaming.

" _This is the Namekian Fusion that Piccolo and Kami went through?! Just how many Namekians can fuse like this_?!" He thought in astonishment.

The light subsided moments later and only Kasma was left standing where four Namekians use to be.

Kasma opened his eyes and began feeling the power course through his body. He lifted both his arms with palms to his face and just stared at them in amazement.

" _This is amazing! My brothers truly helped push this body to unimagined levels! Well, let's put this body to use then!_ " Kasma thought to himself.

He turned is gaze back to Vegeta and clenching his fists in front of him, drew on the power his body had just obtained. An explosion of blue and white light erupted and engulfed the landscape for several hundred feet around.

The force of the eruption even caught Vegeta off guard as he held up his hands to defend himself and struggled to not be pushed back by the power.

Kasma's power finally unleashed, the light diminished to a smaller but still potent flashing of light blue and white shimmering all over his body.

Kasma glared at Vegeta and without saying a word propelled his body toward the Saiyan Prince and readied a strong punch with his right hand.

Vegeta barely crossed his arms in time to block the blow. As he did the force of the hit made him dig his heels into the ground while sliding backward several yards.

As their fists and auras clashed, Vegeta realized that he was mere feet from the boulders where Cargo lay unconscious.

He reached in for his own powers with a grunt, and batted away Kasma's right hand with both arms before going on the offensive.

Vegeta forcefully threw punch and kick combinations to push Kasma away.

Kasma managed to block most every strike and return some of his own to Vegeta but even with his new power, Kasma was struggling to overpower the Saiyan warrior.

" _I need time to get used to the new powers I'm feeling! I jumped into it too quickly!"_ Kasma thought in his realization.

Vegeta was able to keep pace and trade Kasma blow for blow while pushing the Namekian further and further away from Cargo.

" _His power is incredible now! I can't quite get a hit in! But he's also having trouble adjusting to the new level! Maybe I can push just a little harder and finish this fast enough to end it before it drags on!"_ Vegeta remarked as he increased his ferocity.

Kasma wasn't able to coordinate his body movements with his thoughts and as Vegeta increased his speed, Kasma turned more into a punching bag than an opponent.

"GAHHH!" Kasma shouted in pain and rage.

He received blow after blow to his face and stomach and tried to get out of Vegeta's range but couldn't shake the relentless warrior.

Whether from frustration of not being able to pull it out or because he was starting to lose, Kasma screamed in rage and began generating a small bubble of Ki around his body as he tapped into more of the recent upgrade.

It was all that he needed to momentarily stop Vegeta mid-punch.

Kasma quickly pulled his hands in close to his chest and drawing on his energy and fired a huge beam of white Ki into Vegeta to turn the tide of the battle.

Vegeta wasn't able to deflect, let alone evade in time and the beam engulfed his entire body and took him for a ride screaming in rage and pain of his own.

As land passed under him, he struggled to fight the beam's power and break from the center.

Reacting more than thinking, Vegeta fought against the force and moved his arms so that he could stretch his hands out, palms facing the ground below.

It took some effort but finally he succeeded and began charging his golden Ki into a giant ball between his two hands. It erupted into a huge beam on its own and acted as a brake to slow down Kasma's stream of energy.

Using his feet and Ki, Vegeta forced Kasma's energy to a complete halt and turned it into a giant ball three times his size.

Giving a big yell, Vegeta reoriented himself by planting his feet into the ground and raised his hands to face the white ball. He promptly charged more golden Ki into his hands and exploded an energy beam of his own skyward and took Kasma's energy with it.

As the energies departed, Vegeta stood with his shoulders hunched over and arms limp at his sides gasping for air. Beads of sweat poured down his brow as he stared roughly the length a few football fields back toward Kasma who was also trying to recover his stamina.

Though he was far more beaten up and bloodied than Vegeta, Kasma's resolve and power still remained high.

"THERE!" he shouted. "AM I A CHALLENGE ENOUGH NOW?!"

Vegeta couldn't help himself and replied with a smirk, "IT APPEARS I MISJUDGED YOU NAMEKIAN! IT WILL BE A PLEASURE TEARING YOU APART!"

" _Damn it all! This will go on for a while regardless of what I do! He's just that strong!_ " Vegeta thought both feeling frustrated and still somehow enjoying it.

After a few more moments, Vegeta felt his stamina return and charging up his Super Saiyan aura, he rushed toward Kasma with full force ready to continue.

Kasma regained his stamina almost as quickly and prepared to go another round himself.

Just as Vegeta was about to trade blows with the Namekian warrior, Vegeta both saw Kasma's body go slack with eyes bulging in fear and felt the Namekian's lack of bloodlust. The reaction was not at Vegeta's fast approaching attack but in a direction over his head and into the sky.

Vegeta came to a halt mere feet short of ramming his left fist into Kasma's face and dropped his golden aura as he planted his right foot on the ground. He was completely bewildered by the abrupt stop in their battle.

" _What in the world? Why did he stop-!_ " Vegeta's mind raced as he suddenly felt the reason behind him.

Vegeta spun on his foot to see what had created such a distraction to stop their heated fight and his fears were instantly confirmed.

Floating tens of feet above them were two blue beings Vegeta knew all too well.

"Aw, why did you stop?" Cell Junior Six called down in a mocking tone while his brother Seven floated next to him snickering.

"We were hoping to see who was going to win that little squabble of yours!" Six added with a sneer.

"Go ahead and finish up! We'll wait!" Seven called down at them. "You're both as good as dead regardless of the winner!"

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Quick turn around as promised!


	25. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer**

All original content is owned by Akira Toriyama and his affiliates.

 **Chapter 24:**

Wind gusted to and fro across the open plains of New Namek and whipped Vegeta's hair around.

Contrary to what should be a welcomed feeling, beads of sweat formed under Vegeta's brow as both he and Kasma stared in shock at the two Cell Juniors hovering overhead.

Their sneering faces and high pitched laughing made even the sound of a screeching violin pleasant to Vegeta's ears.

"Well? Are you going to finish or should we join the fun then?" Cell Junior Seven called down through chuckles while his brother, Six, hovered next him laughing derisively.

" _I knew it! They really are out here! But why and how the hell did they get so much stronger since our last encounter?!_ " Vegeta thought still stunned over their appearance so soon.

As the beads of nervous sweat continued to drip down his face Kasma took notice. " _What are these creatures? Even the Saiyan seems as terrified as I am! What does this all mean?!"_

As if hearing his thoughts, Vegeta finally moved and made to stand face to face with Kasma.

Vegeta stared him down with a glare. "Ok, Namekian. If you want to live to defeat me, you'd better listen and listen well!"

"Why should I listen to you?!" Kasma demanded angrily. "I want to see you dead myself!"

"Simple! As much as I'd like to put YOU nine feet under, these two are far worse than our battle! They will destroy both of us and then your own people!" Vegeta retorted with equal anger. "Surely, you feel how powerful their Ki is?!"

As Kasma was about to respond, Six and Seven grew bored of hovering and landed several yards from them with hands behind their heads further emphasizing their growing boredom.

"This is getting old! Are you two going to go at it or do we need to mix it up a little?" Seven hissed with a sneer as Six stood beside him with arms crossed all the while glaring at Vegeta.

Vegeta got a better look at the Cell Juniors and noted that they were taller than when he last saw them. " _They're bigger now too! And what is it with their tails looking more like a hose?!"_

Vegeta thought about it briefly before it dawned on him why they were much stronger, _"So they can use those even in this form?! Oh that's just perfect!_ "

Kasma looked back and forth from the two Cell Juniors to Vegeta as he regarded his options and after a few moments he reluctantly said, "Fine Saiyan. I believe what you would call a 'truce' is in order until we get rid of those creatures."

"Alright! Just let me try to stall for time so we can catch a quick break!" Vegeta replied more quietly and turned to give Six and Seven his full attention.

"Fine. We'll take you on since you _children_ so graciously decided to interrupt us!" Vegeta chided as he tried to regain his composure.

He got Six and Seven's interest as they narrowed their eyes and couldn't help but feel empowered by that little jab.

"But tell me, Children of Cell, how did you survive being destroyed by Gohan? Last I saw he left you as dust in the wind!" Vegeta called over to the Cell Juniors.

"First off, you can call me Cell Junior Six and my brother here Seven," Six said with malice dripping from his voice as he gestured to Seven. "And second, that brat, though much better than you could ever be, was sloppy and left our cells lying in the dirt. His time will come but I am happy that we get to fight again _Prince_ Vegeta!"

" _Cheeky little imp!"_ Vegeta thought in boiling anger but managed to keep his cool as he spoke. "Hmph, I guess you're right. You were my opponent and now I get to finally destroy you myself!"

Kasma just stood still slightly in shock as the battle of words played out in front of him. " _Vegeta is truly a warrior to put on such bravado but I now understand why he's so nervous with these creatures! I'll have no choice to but to heed his advice!_ "

"Alright! I tire of this boring chit-chat!" Seven suddenly shouted in an angry tone and turned to Six. "Brother, I want to kill or absorb these two! You can have Vegeta but let's get this over with and finish our quest!"

As Seven took a stance, Six followed suite. "Agreed, getting us to spill all our secrets does make for a great way to stall for time!"

"Damn you!" Vegeta shouted and instantly flared up his Super Saiyan aura with Kasma immediately powering up his own Ki in response.

"Absorb us?!" Kasma said in shock. "Tell me, Vegeta! Is that what those needle-like things are for?!"

"Yes! Good! At least I can trust your battle senses!" Vegeta said aloud. "I hope you've gotten ahold over your new powers Namekian! They will probably extend into a tail and if one punctures your body, they'll absorb your entire being! So don't make it harder for me to destroy them!"

"Your concern is touching Saiyan but I'll be just fine! I'll just have to rip it out first!" Kasma replied with a small grin before charging head on at Cell Junior Seven.

" _There is no other way! I hope he's got this because I don't think I can handle two of these creatures by myself!"_ Vegeta reluctantly thought to himself.

Vegeta flung himself at Six and yelled "Let's go you blue-deviled freak! Even charred remains of your body are too good for you!"

As both Vegeta and Kasma entered in a contest of trading and parrying a variety of kicks and punches the Cell Juniors held strong against their opponents' attacks and slowly increased the ferocity of their own.

Seven pushed Kasma further and further from the starting location of their battle and all Kasma could do in the meantime was to defend every blow that seemed to get stronger and faster as they came.

Six decided to initiate his own tactics of phasing in and out of sight while getting a few hits in on Vegeta.

" _Childish games for childish foes!"_ Vegeta thought with irritation as he managed to pick up on the Cell Junior's seemingly repetitive pattern.

The Saiyan warrior sent a quick jab in the direction of Six's intended motion and hit him square in the face.

"Two can play at that game!" Vegeta hollered as he did a quick phase of his own and managed strong kick at the back of Six's head.

"Agh!" Six called in pain as he started falling toward the ground below.

He managed to regain control of his motion turned to look up at a frustrated Vegeta.

Six gave a quick cheesy smile before turning it into a scowl and rushed at Vegeta shouting "Dodge this one then!"

He employed an after image trick as Vegeta struck at him with the left fist.

"What?! Is this one of Kakarot's tricks?!" Vegeta shouted before a hard blow to the back of his neck sent him toward the ground at an angle.

"GAH!" was all he could muster and he collided with the dirt while sliding across the ground for several yards.

Six floated in the sky laughing with giddiness and shouted "That was a combination of Goku's and your own moves! I'm disappointed you didn't see that one coming!"

Getting back to his feet, Vegeta flared up his aura in anger. "Get your own damn moves you stupid imp!"

" _What hurts the most is that he used my own technique against me with that fool's along for the ride! That attack didn't hurt as much as it should've from what I know of these creatures!"_

Six glared down at him and said, "Ready or not, here I come Saiyan!"

He dashed back at Vegeta to continue their battle now a fair distance away from Kasma and Seven.

* * *

" _Gah! They hit as hard as Vegeta! What exactly are these creatures?!"_ Kasma thought between punch and kick combos while trying to find an opening. " _I need a little more time to get my mind and body to sync up or this will be over before it even started!"_

Seven tired of trying to plow through all of Kasma's blocks with repeated punches and kicks and decided to change up his attacks a little more.

"Heh, you're pretty good at taking hits!" He said sneering as he darted back from a slightly confused Kasma still with his arms in a defensive position. "Why don't we just blow those annoying things away then?"

Seven immediately aimed his right index finger at Kasma and began charging a small pink ball of energy at its tip.

"Hee-hee! Block this if you want but I'd think twice about dodging!" Seven chided between chuckles as the pink ball reached its charging capacity and erupted into a beam no wider than his hand but still with enough force to easily rip a hole through the hardest of stone.

As it rapidly approached Kasma, he didn't have a second thought and shifted his position so that the beam narrowly avoided hitting his body.

The sound of exploding rocks behind him told Kasma he had just saved himself from taking massive damage.

Kasma was unable to completely avoid it and grunting from the pain, he rubbed at a strong burn mark on the top of his right forearm.

"Oooh!" Seven said as he prepared to fire more of the death beams. "That was a close one! Let's turn it up a few notches then!"

Seven didn't wait for a response and instantly charged up multiple tiny balls of pink energy in the shape of a circle in front of his right finger.

"I hope you keep this fun a little longer!" He shouted and willed the tiny pink balls to erupt into more death beams before he fired them straight at Kasma.

* * *

While Kasma struggled with Seven, Vegeta continued to take punches and kicks from Six head on.

Six's attempts to pummel through Vegeta's defenses seemed to be at their maximum potential but the Saiyan warrior started noticing how slow and seemingly predictable the attacks had become for him.

" _Is this it? Is he really this slow or just trying to get me into a false sense of security?_ " Vegeta thought as he was able to easily deflect every attack better than originally expected. " _He's not going to employ any of those phasing tricks again either since he knows I'll anticipate it now!"_

"Are you going to block all day or are you going to retaliate my _Prince_?" Six taunted gleefully as Vegeta shifted his body and slapped away at an incoming elbow jab.

It was immediately replaced by a punch that Vegeta was able to see coming without any warning.

Vegeta feigned struggling to block it but was bewildered by how easily he could see it coming and act appropriately.

" _He really thinks that this is the best I can do? Of course! My training in the gravity machine did pay off after all! And I can see his attacks coming at a fast enough pace! This is perfect!"_ Vegeta's thoughts rolled across his mind as a devious grin crossed his face.

The grin took Six by surprise as he abruptly stopped his assault and jumped back from Vegeta.

He gazed at the Saiyan Prince with cautious curiosity.

"You find something funny _Prince_?" Six cooed at Vegeta and returned his own grin.

"That is seriously starting to get old, you little imp!" Vegeta spat with his body still in a defensive position. "But if you must know. Yes! I do find something funny! Other than that ridiculous appendage you call a head!"

Six's grin contorted into a scowl and his eyes began to glow pink as his humor disappeared. "Tell me before I blow your head off your shoulders then Vegeta!"

"It's simple really. You're just too slow for me!" Vegeta retorted with a smile before charging his aura up again and rushed at full speed toward the Cell Junior.

Six was caught off-guard by the sudden increase in Vegeta's speed and with a "deer in the headlights kind of look" on his face; he took a hard elbow blow right between the eyes.

The force propelled him backwards and he slid along the ground with several hard bounces like a stone being skipped across a lake's surface.

Vegeta didn't let up in his assault as he had charged ahead of Six and before the Cell Junior could react, Vegeta's right foot collided with the back of Six's head.

The next thing he knew Six was rocketing toward the sky at a speed he couldn't control.

"I'm not done with you just yet!" Vegeta shouted as he also was rocketing into the sky past Six and reached an altitude high above the rising Cell Junior.

Vegeta brought his hands together into a unified fist above his head and as Six came within striking distance Vegeta slammed his hands down on the imp's head with such force, it took less than a second for Six to plow back down into the ground and create a half-mile wide crater with his impact.

The Cell Junior had no time to express any indication he was in pain as he collided with ground like a meteor falling from the heavens.

Dirt and rocks exploded with the impact and rushing to finish the battle, Vegeta pointed his right hand palm at the center of the crater.

Some of the smoke and dirt cleared away and Vegeta could just barely see where Six had slammed into the dirt head first.

"That was for earlier and this move is my original you blue bastard!" Vegeta shouted as he began amassing a large amount of Ki near his palm.

A large ball of flashing golden yellow and white Ki with massive force appeared at Vegeta's out stretched palm and when he was satisfied with its potency he shouted "Big Bang Attack!" and fired the flashing dense ball of energy down at the center of the crater.

Six lay beaten, bruised, with arms and legs bloodied, and sprawled out in an "X" shape while staring up at the sky with his eyes half open.

The sudden and powerful combination of blows left him dazed and he only came to his senses when the densely packed ball of energy was a few feet overhead.

"Curse you Veg-!" He screamed as the Ki ball made contact with its intended target.

An enormous dome of yellow and white energy, roughly the same size as the crater, exploded upward and outward under Vegeta's feet.

He struggled slightly to brace himself against the impact of his own attack and watched as an enormous dome of dirt and smoke filled his view of the ground under him.

Taking a few deep breaths and using the chance to regain some of his stamina, Vegeta floated in the sky and watched for any signs of a counterattack.

" _I hit him dead on with that combination but I still feel his Ki! Well, at least it's weaker than when we started this battle!_ " Vegeta smirked with eagerness and began to feel the battle shifting in his favor.

Feeling more confident and watching as the dust and dirt debris settled more and more he shouted in a taunting attempt. "Let's see you survive that!"

* * *

Kasma saw the incoming pink beams fired from Seven's finger but reacted more on instinct than on his eye sight, and positioned his body so that his legs and arms stretched out into an "X" shape.

He quickly tilted his head to the right and within seconds of repositioning his body the pink beams passed by him without making any contact and exploded into some grassy knolls hundreds of feet behind him.

"You're aim is off creature!" Kasma shouted. "Try again-GAHH!"

A sudden and brutal punch to his gut caused Kasma to lurch forward and spit up blood and saliva.

"Maybe you should use your eyes a little more and not be so cocky Namekian!" Seven chided menacingly mere inches in front Kasma with his right fist pushing hard into Kasma's stomach.

Seven took the opportunity to jump kick Kasma in the chin with his right leg.

With a sharp cry of pain, the Namekian warrior rose up off the ground a few feet.

Kasma didn't have time to recover as he was immediately elbowed hard in the upper chest by Seven and plowed backwards across dirt and grass creating a trench several yards long before coming to a stop.

He lay there for a few moments dazed, bruised, and bleeding as he tried to regain his composure and get back to his feet while Seven just laughed at his misery.

"Well that was easier than I thought!" Seven hollered between chuckles.

" _Ugh! That was too fast for me to see and react! Why is it taking so long to get this body going?!"_ Kasma thought in frustration as he slowly tried to get to a sitting position.

"You're a waste of my time Namekian!" Seven called while taking a stance as he brought his right middle and index finger together near his temple.

He charged up a yellow colored Ki that was both flashing and crackling. "I'll strip you of your ability to move and then absorb your useless corpse for my meal!"

Kasma finally managed to get to his feet but was still fighting the tired feeling as sweat poured down his face. " _What is he up to now?"_

"Let's see if you can handle an attack from a _true_ Namekian warrior you useless slug!" Seven called as he felt the mass of Ki ready to explode.

" _He dares to insult both my own power and those of my comrades?!"_ Kasma thought as the shock of the insult took root inside of him.

"You have no right to call me weak! I am the greatest defense this planet will ever have and neither you nor that blasted Saiyan will take that away from me!" Kasma shouted back. "Go ahead! Fire it at me you demon!"

Kasma instinctively got into a stance and charged up his white aura while crossing his arms in a blocking X motion.

"Your funeral!" Seven called maliciously as he pointed his left two fingers at Kasma. "Special Beam Cannon FIRE!"

A giant orange and yellow drill shaped energy beam exploded from his fingers and rushed at Kasma with blinding speed.

It collided with the Namekian warriors Ki armor he placed around his crossed arms and created a small crater in the ground surrounding Kasma.

"UGH! Is that all you got?!" He called as the drilling energy began to push him backwards.

Kasma dug into the dirt to give him some traction worked to push back against the force.

"Hee hee I'm just getting warmed up! YAHH!" Seven called and poured more energy into the drill further enhancing its intensity and size.

Kasma struggled to maintain his footing as the increased power pushed him backwards at a growing speed.

His feet were being dragged through the dirt inch by inch.

"Come on power inside of me explode already! I didn't lose my comrades to also lose in vain myself!" Kasma screamed. "I will not leave my people to die!"

The deep well of energy seemed to respond to his pleas and Kasma felt it surge through his body all at once.

Finally feeling he could take control, Kasma kept the Ki armor up but dropped his arms to his right side and cupping his hands together, he created his own ball of Ki.

"What?!" Seven yelled as he felt and saw Kasma stop moving backwards. "Why isn't he moving anymore?! What is he doing?"

As if to answer, Kasma finished charging Ki into his palms and pointing them through the center of the drilling energy, he fired his own explosive white energy with a scream of "DIE!"

It exploded back through Seven's energy attack with such force, the Cell Junior was unable to react fast enough.

He screamed in agony as he was engulfed by Kasma's growing energy beam.

Completely overtaking Seven and at the size of a house, it collided with the side of a cliff about a half-mile away and exploded into an enormous cloud of dirt and rocks that rained down over the landscape.

Kasma took a few deep breaths as he relished finally unlocking his powers to the max and getting a solid hit in on the Cell Junior.

"Ok, so I'm a little out of breath but otherwise I feel great!" Kasma said aloud as he got into a stance and waited for Seven to return to their battle. "That demon may have taken a lot of damage from that but I know he's not done yet!"

As if to confirm Kasma's thoughts, he saw a rapidly approaching blue object in the sky coming from the direction of the debris.

Seconds later Seven landed a few feet in front Kasma, his body covered in scratches.

Seven spat to his left to get dirt out of his mouth and glared right at Kasma.

Surprising to Kasma, a small grin crossed the Cell Junior's face. "Well, that's much better! Shall we continue and kick it up a notch then?" Seven stated as his aura changed from intense white to an intense golden yellow and began flashing rapidly.

"I agree!" Kasma said as he charged his power up while staring at the shorter being with hatred.

It was at this moment in their battle that Vegeta had fired his massive attack at Six.

The huge dome of energy exploded hundreds of feet to the south of their current location and took both opponents by surprise.

The force created shockwaves for miles around the explosion.

Seven looked in its direction and felt the Ki of his brother dropping rapidly. "What? Six was in that? Vegeta's that strong now?!"

White light and pain suddenly enveloped his senses as Seven took a head on punch to his face from Kasma and fell backwards a few feet onto his rear.

"Less gaping more fighting! Or am I becoming too much for you now too?!" Kasma screamed as he rushed at Seven and gave the Cell Junior little time to recover.

* * *

While the battles between the Cell Juniors raged on, Cargo came to from his recently unconscious slumber.

Looking around and trying to figure out where he was laying, Cargo took in the site of the giant boulders and heard the distant sounds of explosions.

"Where's Vegeta and the other Namekian warriors who attacked us?!" He said aloud as he got to his feet.

He was suddenly overcome by the power of the four warriors battling it out roughly half a mile for his position.

"Wait! I can feel him fighting an incredibly strong and evil Ki!" Cargo said as he honed his senses. "And there are two of them!"

"And why do I feel the powers of one Namekian warrior but it's super strong?! I didn't know anyone here had that power!" He pondered aloud while trying to get a clear understanding of it. "But his power feels jumbled?"

"Augh! There's no time to figure this out right now but it's so confusing!" Cargo shouted in frustration while shaking his head.

Calming himself with a few deep breaths and clearing his mind for a minute, Cargo thought about his own action plan.

" _Ok. Vegeta is fighting those evil beings and most likely is getting some help from another Namekian warrior. So, should I stay here and hide or try to get closer in case they need to be healed?_ " Cargo pondered.

Vegeta's large blast rocked the ground at the moment Cargo was debating what he should do and nearly knocked him off his feet.

"Whoa!" He cried as he grabbed onto the nearby rocky wall while the ground shook under him.

It subsided and finally deciding on a course of action Cargo floated in the air. "I don't care if Vegeta wanted me to hide or not! I've got to be there in case he needs to be healed!"

Nervous sweat appeared on his head as Cargo stared in the direction of the battling warriors. "Their power is overwhelming but I-I've got to go! If either of them dies our planet is doomed! I can do this!"

Cargo's resolve pushing him to act; he powered up his own white aura and flew in the direction of the battles. "I just hope those evil creatures don't see me until after I've healed anybody!"

* * *

With dust and debris settling beneath him, Vegeta slowly floated back down to the ground but gave himself some distance in case Six was lying in wait for a surprise attack.

Landing within the new crater he created, Vegeta scanned the area for Six and to his surprise saw the Cell Junior still at the center of the blast.

Seven got his feet breathing heavily, blood dripping all over and a right arm completely limp.

"It looks like I broke your arm!" Vegeta taunted loudly. "Don't worry! I'll break the rest of you soon enough!"

"Heh heh heh!" Six laughed harshly while grabbing at his dangling right arm. "I hope you didn't forget our abilities so quickly!"

Vegeta watched as Six ripped the arm from its socket and tossed it on the ground a couple feet in front of him.

Six was quick to build energy in the gaping wound on his shoulder where his right arm used to be.

It took a matter of moments for a new arm complete with movable fingers to appear.

"No I didn't! And it won't be long before I rip it out again! Next time I'll start with your head!" Vegeta replied with anger.

"We'll see, _Prince_. We'll see." Six said as he rotated his newly formed right arm around and ensured good connection with his nerves.

Six's regeneration and enjoyment of having his right arm back was short lived as Vegeta had rushed at the Cell Junior with an enraged yell of frustration.

"First I'll rip out that annoying voice box so I can't hear you speak anymore you little punk!" Vegeta shouted as he slammed his right fist into Six's already bruised and bleeding face.

Six was once again thrust backwards in pain and through the outer rim of the bowel shaped crater Vegeta created minutes before.

The Cell Junior landed mere feet from the edge as he was able to slow the power of the kick down.

Vegeta powered up his Super Saiyan aura, got into a running start, and propelled himself headlong at Six.

Still unable to react to Vegeta's increased speed, Six was instantly grabbed on the shoulders and felt a hard knee enter his midsection.

He coughed up blood and spit as he doubled over on his knees in pain and clutched at his stomach.

Tilting his head upward at the scowling face of Vegeta, Six's eyes met with Vegeta's and the Cell Junior grinned maliciously.

"Why are you grinning at me?" Vegeta spat angrily. "I've clearly shown that you are no match for me!

"Looks can be deceiving, Vegeta!" Six replied as he gave another cough. "Besides, you let your guard down!"

"Wh-" Vegeta barely got out before a pink colored beam of energy shot from behind him and tore a hole through his body inches above his heart.

Six watched with glee as Vegeta started to slump to the ground in front of him from the intense pain.

"H-how?!" Vegeta gasped as Six got to his feet and gave a strong sharp kick toward the defenseless Saiyan's midsection.

Vegeta shot into the air at an angle, blood dripping as he rocketed skyward, and Six immediately appeared just above him readying another strike.

"Here, Saiyan! I'll show you!" he said in a deceptively sing-song voice as Six jabbed his right elbow into Vegeta's wound and sent the Saiyan warrior crashing into the center of the crater with near equal force of Vegeta's own previous attacks.

Dust clearing, Vegeta coughed up more blood and struggled to get to his knees, let alone to a sitting position.

He grasped at the hole in his chest with his right hand and took notice of a small blue object on the ground a foot away.

The blue object had a hand with a single finger outstretched toward him giving off a faint pink glow at its tip.

"Y-you still h-had control of that arm?!" Vegeta choked out as the pain in his chest intensified with each breath and word.

Six landed next to the torn arm lying in the dirt and cackled with evil laughter. "You should've destroyed it the minute I tossed it aside! The things we learned and improved on from the Namekian DNA inside of us when traveling the stars were amazing!"

Vegeta's eyelids started to grow heavy after the shock and blood loss.

" _Damn it all! I never would've anticipated something like this! I can barely move, let alone maintain consciousness at this rate!_ _I can't let it end like this!"_ His mind scrambled to think and find a way to get out of the situation but all he could feel was a heavy darkness slowly take over.

"Just relax, Vegeta!" Six cooed while letting his tail expand and pointed the needle end towards Vegeta's limp body. "This will only take a few moments and your energy will be all mine! Imagine Dad's face when he sees how strong I've become after this!"

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

I didn't forget about this at all in the last month or so. Vacation, life changes, writing block, job status changes, etc.

More in writing as this chapter is posted!


	26. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer**

All original content is owned by Akira Toriyama and his affiliates.

 **Chapter 25:**

" _So that's their plan!"_ Vegeta thought as he lay panting on the dirt with Six's tail a foot from impaling his body. " _I can't let this happen!_ "

Vegeta's will to fight kept him from slipping into unconsciousness but his body was unable to move much at all.

While struggling to even lift his hands, Vegeta took notice of a small object floating in the sky above him.

It took a second before he understood. " _Cargo! Wait! What is that idiot doing?! He's going to get himself killed!_ "

Cargo floated up high enough that he was sure nobody had noticed him but now that he was near the battlefield without a complete plan of action, his nervousness crept back over him.

" _Ok. I'm here!_ _But can I do this? I need somewhere just close enough-"_ Cargo's mind raced as he surveyed the ground below him. He caught sight of two figures far below; one looked to be unmoving.

Honing his senses further, Cargo gasped as the situation became clearer to him. "Vegeta's Ki is dropping rapidly! I need to help him now! It doesn't matter if they see me or not at this point!"

Taking a big gulp and mustering up his courage, Cargo powered up his white aura and rushed at the ground as fast as he could.

Six meanwhile had no more words to say and was seconds from jabbing Vegeta in his throat when the sound of an approaching Cargo caught his attention.

He looked skyward to see Cargo descend to the ground and land a few feet behind Vegeta, his hands balled into fists at his side and nervous sweat pouring down his face.

Cargo continued fluctuating his white aura and glared at Six as he walked forward a few steps.

" _I hope this is close enough!_ " Cargo thought nervously as he continued to charge Ki around his body and focused the intent on his balled fists.

He got a quick glance at Vegeta's wound and fought hard not to yell or scream in terror at the sight.

Six stared back at Cargo with a blank expression initially but gradually turned it into a sneer. " _What is this all about? A random Namekian bug come out to play? Did Vegeta actually make friends here?"_

"Come to see the demise of your friend, have you?" Six cooed at the defiant looking Cargo.

Cargo just continued to glare at Six as the young Namekian's energy pulsed more rapidly around his body and slowly began to shimmer and change to a golden orange color.

" _How is this going to work in our favor now?! Cargo hasn't shown his healing ability but I know that Cell Junior will figure it out soon enough!_ " Vegeta thought as he struggled to raise himself up on his elbows.

"Ah!" Six cried aloud and began chuckling darkly. "It's funny how history repeats itself!"

"What do you mean?" Vegeta gasped as he managed to get to a sitting position.

"It's obvious why this kid is here! The cells from Frieza are telling me he probably has the ability to heal wounds!" Six shouted in a giddy voice. "Well, am I right little bug?"

Cargo only stared back at Six in defiance but there was a slight shiver throughout his body that Six took notice of.

" _Crap! He knows!_ " Vegeta thought feeling more helpless than ever.

"Sorry, kid!" Six replied with a full-on sneer as his eyes focused on Cargo at this point. "I can't let you get any closer or I won't be able to have my meal."

Cargo continued to stand his ground and fight the growing urge to run and scream as nervous sweat continued to fall down his forehead.

He put all his concentration into the Ki channeling into his balled fists and felt the desired energy grow bit by bit. " _Come on! Just a little bit more!_ "

"Ooh! Are you going to fight me instead?!" Six taunted with amusement as his eyes began glowing bright pink. "Go ahead then! Let's test your ridiculously low power against my own!"

Cargo finally mustered up the courage for words and shouted, "Ok fine! You monster! I hope you get what's coming to you!"

Energy charged to the maximum, Cargo stretched out his hands and aimed his palms in the direction of Vegeta and the Cell Junior.

The now golden orange energy exploded in a beam between Cargo's outstretched hands over Vegeta and in Six's direction at a rapid speed.

It was such a bright intensity that both Six and Vegeta were briefly blinded, forcing them to shut their eyes from its brilliance.

Several moments passed as the light subsided and having spent most of his built up energy, Cargo fell to his knees sweating profusely and panting heavily.

"What was that light trick all about you stupid brat?!" Six demanded as his eyes were finally able to see more than the brilliant golden-orange color. "It didn't even touch me!"

Cargo gave a small grin of his own in reply and said smartly, "I never planned on hitting you with it!"

"Well, I intend to hit you with this!" Six replied sourly as his eyes charged up laser beams to fire.

A small tap on his left shoulder caught Six's attention and he turned to see a recovered Vegeta fully embracing his Super Saiyan aura and glaring back at him.

"It's funny how you remind me too much of Frieza looking the way you do now!" Vegeta said darkly as he slammed his right fist into Six's face and sent the Cell Junior plowing through the edge of the giant makeshift crater bowl. "It really pisses me off!"

Vegeta screamed aloud and pulled deeper at his mostly refreshed Super Saiyan strength as the golden flashing light erupted around him.

It nearly sent Cargo tumbling backwards head over heels.

Vegeta turned his gaze on Cargo and gave what looked like a small grin.

"You definitely have guts showing up out here even if it was idiotic! I'll finish this fight! Just stay put and don't move from that spot until I say otherwise!" Vegeta commanded before charging at the slowly recovering Cell Junior several hundred yards away.

Cargo didn't need to be told twice as he just sat and watched the battle play out in shocked amazement.

As Vegeta rushed at Six, he spotted the blue arm that had caught him by surprise not so long ago and fired a strong Ki beam at it with his outstretched right hand.

"I won't be tricked by that again!" He spat with satisfaction as Six's former appendage was incinerated in a flash.

"You should keep your eyes on your opponent _Prince_!" Six shouted in a rage as he had just finished charging up a large pink disc of energy over his head and with a sharp cry threw the fast spinning saucer at Vegeta mere yards away.

Whether by instinct or sheer luck, Vegeta managed to clap his hands together just in time and keep the spinning disc of energy from slicing through his throat.

As he hovered midair, Vegeta barely managed to slow and then stop the spinning energy blade.

However, all of Six's intent was being put into making the disc spin and sure he could still win, he urged the disc to spin at a faster rate.

"I'm not done yet Vegeta!" Six called maniacally as the energy disc started to spin against Vegeta's weakening hold. "I'll sever your head and offer it to my Father as a welcome home present!"

Vegeta lost what control he had just gained and struggled to keep the energy from rotating period.

With his own aura pouring around it as a barrier, it was the only shield keeping the blade from cutting clean through his gloves and hands.

Seconds dragged on while gaining no control and Vegeta could feel it starting to cut into both his own aura and battle armor just from the heat of the disc alone.

" _Of all the stupid and ridiculous techniques he could throw at me!_ " Vegeta cursed to himself angrily as his stamina was draining fast. " _If I could just get a good hold on it I can get rid of this thing!"_

As if a light bulb went on in his head, Vegeta forced his energy forward to land on the ground a few feet from Cell Junior Six.

"I WILL NOT LOSE TO A CHEAP TRICK OR THE LIKES OF YOU!" Vegeta screamed as he pushed against the disc with all remaining strength he could muster and landing on the ground in a forward stance with his right foot forward, he planted both his feet firmly into the ground several inches deep.

"What do you intend to do? Maybe a second disc will make it easier to slice you up!" Six called as his held his right hand out to face the first blade while his left hand rose above his head and charged up a second one.

"Not going to happen!" Vegeta shouted feeling satisfied that he had is right foot rooted in the dirt.

With only seconds to act, Vegeta kicked through the dirt with his left foot and shot clusters of rock and dust into Six's face blinding him instantly.

Six lost all concentration as the second blade over his head disappeared.

It was just long enough for Vegeta to completely overpower the rotating disc with his inner strength.

"Here!" He called while taking it in hand and jumping into the air. "This should go back to you!"

Vegeta spun around several times before flinging it back at Six with his own intent now flooding into the spinning disc.

Six had little time to react as he barely managed to clear the dirt out of his eyes just before the disc cut through his waist.

"Gah!" was all Six could get out as blood gushed from his wound and he felt himself both falling and splitting at the same time.

Gasping in pain as he landed in two pieces on the ground, Six stared up at the green sky with his face contorted into a look of utter shock.

He coughed up blood and tried to raise himself up with his hands.

Panting and nearly out of breath himself, Vegeta landed mere feet in front of Six's broken torsos and kicked hard at the lower half to send it bouncing across the landscape a few feet behind Six's head.

"This time you will die for sure!" Vegeta gasped out in harsh breaths as he took another stance and bending his right knee, he curled his fingers together while placing his hands together at chest level.

Vegeta aimed them both toward the beaten Cell Junior, the palm of one hand on the back of the other.

Around his hands, a fuchsia-colored aura began to grow with crackling electric energy.

It slowly began to spread and merge with his Super Saiyan glow.

"This is the end for you Cell Junior! Don't bother regenerating again!" Vegeta yelled as the fuchsia color intensified even more.

The ground beneath them began shaking hard and even Cargo could feel the quakes from his position.

Six glared at Vegeta as the Cell Junior rushed to regenerate his broken body pieces and try to reattach his lower and upper torso by will. "No! It can't end like this!"

Unfortunately for Six, Vegeta had already noticed and angrily screamed. "TOO LATE YOU BLUE BASTARD! GALICK GUN!"

The Saiyan warrior quickly gathered as much Ki as he could and thrust both hands forward to unleash a powerful blast of the fuchsia colored energy in the shape of a gigantic cannon.

Six could only scream a high pitched "NOOO!" as Vegeta's energy enveloped both halves of his torn body and flowed rapidly across the landscape.

Vegeta's beam carried the screaming Cell Junior, slowly beginning to melt away in pieces, into a far off range of large green hills and exploded upon making contact with them.

The pressure exerted by Vegeta's attack forced rocks and debris to rain down for miles around the broken landscape and wind to blow in all directions outward from the explosion.

Vegeta took in huge breaths of the dirty air and coughing at the foulness of it collapsed onto his knees while trying to get any oxygen he could.

After a few moments of regaining some of his stamina a small smile crossed his face. " _There! I managed to do what Gohan couldn't! Say hello to your father in Hell!_ "

* * *

While Cargo had enabled Vegeta to turn the tide of his battle, Kasma had been proving his own mettle in battle with Cell Junior Seven.

After the initial blindsided punch that took Seven by surprise, he had immediately wised up to the power Kasma possessed and lost all pretenses of joking around.

What followed Kasma's power-up was an immediate flurry of punches and kicks that would have badly bruised the Cell Junior if he hadn't been blocking with his aura at full power.

" _My friends I thank you so much for your sacrifice!_ " Kasma thought to his inner psyche. " _I can feel this monster losing his ground and it won't be long before he makes a mistake!"_

"I'll ask again monster: am I too much for you now?!" Kasma hollered ferociously as he pummeled the Cell Junior backwards into a giant boulder.

The boulder exploded with the force of the battling warriors and their auras plowing through it.

Seven nearly missed blocking his face with his arms in an X-shape as the last punch had forced him through the boulder as if it were water.

" _This is madness! Only Father should be stronger than us!_ " he thought angrily and having enough of being on the defensive, he took a chance and phased out of Kasma's sight.

An immediate punch intended for Kasma's temple was blocked by the Namekian warrior raising his left fist in a quick and easy response.

Kasma immediately grabbed at the Cell Junior's incoming right wrist and jerking the surprised Seven forward, Kasma punched him hard in the stomach.

Seven immediately felt pain and coughed up a mix of spit and blood in response.

With little time to react beyond the coughing fit, Kasma followed up with several hard right jabs to the Cell Junior's bloodying face and then finished with a final kick of his right foot in Seven's already wounded stomach.

The force of the kick sent the Cell Junior plowing through grass and dirt while creating a trench several feet thick.

It only ended when he splashed hard into a not-to-distant lake.

Kasma watched and waited patiently for the Cell Junior to emerge as he had hit the blue being hard but not enough to finish the fight.

Nearly a minute passed after he fell into the giant body of water before Seven rocketed from it with a giant splash half the size of the lake, his eyes bloodshot and full of rage.

Seven's body clearly showed multiple areas of bruises and scratches with blood mixing into the water dripping down from his mouth.

"There is no way a lowly slug creature like you can stand against the perfection that I have inside me!" Seven hollered in pure rage while putting his hands together to form a diamond shape.

"I don't care if I absorb you or not! Just die already you low life peasant!" Seven shouted as his body began to glow an orange color while massive orange-yellow energy filled into the space between his hands. "TRI-BEAM, HA!"

The signature move from Tien exploded into an orange-yellow beam and rushed at Kasma with such speed and force that Kasma was overwhelmed by the attack.

The energy exploded around him and sent the warrior into a newly created chasm several hundred feet deep and hundreds of feet wide.

Rock debris exploded in various directions for over a mile and rained down across the battlefield as Seven took several deep breaths while smirking in victory.

It was at about this time that Vegeta had been healed by Cargo and turned the tides on Cell Junior Six.

The energy exploding from his Galick Gun caught Seven's attention soon after the Cell Junior had attacked Kasma.

"What was that just now?" He called aloud as he saw the beam cannon exploding off in the distance.

Seven immediately began sensing around for the whereabouts of his brother as the power from Vegeta was enormous.

For nearly a minute he felt around for Six's Ki but came up with nothing close to it.

"WHAT?! NO! HE DIDN'T!" Seven screamed in frustration as a lone green figure flew up from the large chasm and stopped to float mere feet in front of the wailing Cell Junior.

Though Kasma was now bare chested and bleeding in various places on his upper torso, his resolve and power remained strong.

Spitting away some dirt that had entered his mouth, Kasma took note of the situation with his own Ki searching and couldn't help but smirk.

"So, it feels like only Vegeta remains between the battle with him and your brother," Kasma said smugly.

Seven turned his gaze toward Kasma and the stare he gave would have sent a lesser being cowering in fear and madness.

"I'd watch my tongue if I were you Namekian!" Six said burning with rage. "Even if my brother was destroyed, our mission will be completed!"

"Please!" Kasma retorted with disbelief. "I look far worse than I feel, you can barely keep up with me now that you expended so much energy, and Vegeta blew your brother to pieces! You are on the losing side, monster!"

Seven sent a small signal to his tail and replied to Kasma in a dangerously calm voice with, "I only need a bit more energy!"

His tail immediately shot at Kasma who only had just enough time to raise a blocking left arm and shield himself in response.

Seven's tail punctured through Kasma's right arm and instantly began sucking in the Namekian warrior's life force.

Kasma gave a sharp yell as he felt his life force being drained and his arm began shriveling up like a prune.

Reacting quickly but not frantically, Kasma used what little strength remained in the shriveled arm and pulled Seven in close once more.

Seven received a swift head butt to the face before Kasma grabbed at the Cell Junior's tail and pried it from his shriveled left arm.

Continuing to act quickly, Kasma tightened his grip on Seven's tail while simultaneously spinning him around like a top in mid-air.

Seven screamed in frustrated agony.

Satisfied with the speed, Kasma let go and flung the Cell Junior toward the ground below.

Rock, dirt, and grass exploded several yards wide and deep beneath the wounded Namekian warrior as he immediately set about ripping out his unusable appendage and regenerating a new one in its place.

An angry Cell Junior Seven righted himself after taking a brief dirt nap and looked skyward to Kasma with intense hatred.

Kasma yelled in pain and a newly formed green limb sprouted from his left shoulder.

Kasma quickly checked that all nerves were in working condition by swinging and flexing his arm.

"Vegeta warned me about that ability of yours!" Kasma called down to Seven. "I almost got caught off-guard there but even with that small burst of energy you stole, I'm still going to win!"

"And here I thought I'd have to step in!" Vegeta's voice came from a large distance behind Kasma as the Saiyan warrior approached their position from the sky at a fast pace.

Cargo floated at a fair distance further behind as he was still going to give aid but at Vegeta's command kept himself unnoticeable until the right time.

Seconds later, Vegeta came to a stop in the air mere feet from Kasma, smirking at him as if they were old friends.

Kasma returned a smirk of his own and said, "So, you managed to vanquish the other demon?"

"Yes, but not without Cargo's help," Vegeta said somewhat annoyed. "I won't interfere with your battle so long as you finish it. I just came to watch the other blue imp get his dues before we continue where we left off!"

"Cargo healed you huh? I see. Well, I'm glad you didn't forget our business, Vegeta. I was about to say the same thing!" Kasma replied with a smile.

"The _Prince_ actually bested one of my own brothers in battle, did he?" Seven called in amusement from below.

Both Vegeta and Kasma looked down toward the ground at a smirking but rage-filled Cell Junior.

Both warriors descended to the ground and stared at Seven with cold expressions on their faces.

"Yes I did! He's dead and you're about to follow him!" Vegeta said smugly while crossing his arms. "I'll just be a spectator but if the Namekian can't destroy you, I will!"

"Such confidence from a second rate warrior who couldn't even stand against my own father!" Seven called coolly. " _I only have one more technique that can help me now!_ "

"You dare mock me?!" Vegeta called getting riled up.

"Remember, Vegeta! He's mine!" Kasma replied quickly as he got into a fighting stance and prepared to charge at Seven for a final attack.

"No, you're wrong Namekian! You are mine! We will continue this battle but not until I've grown much stronger!" Seven chided.

"You won't be able to get away! Even Vegeta would bar you from leaving!" Kasma shouted angrily. "Come at me with all you got monster!"

Seven sneered at them for a few moments and said, "Sure thing!"

The Cell Junior raised both of his hands to each side of his forehead and faced his palms inward while spreading his fingers apart.

Vegeta quickly realized what Seven was planning and shouted, "Kasma! Attack him now!"

Not daring to ask why, Kasma charged forward in response but he was a few seconds too late as Seven immediately shouted "SOLAR FLARE!"

Strong blinding white-blue light erupted from the Cell Junior and took both Vegeta and Kasma by surprise.

"GAHH!" both Vegeta and Kasma screamed in unison as their field of vision turned from bright white and blue to complete darkness.

Even Cargo at his great distance from the warriors was blinded by the light and had no choice but to float in the sky shielding his own eyes.

Kasma came to a complete stop inches from landing a blow on Seven since he couldn't see any more and clutched at his burning eyes.

"What did he do?!" Kasma shouted in frustration and pain.

"I took your sight away!" Seven replied confidently. "And that's not all I'm going to do!"

Seven took this chance and quickly charging up his own aura, lunged at Kasma with all his strength and taking the Namekian warrior by complete surprise.

Seven plunged his right fist deep into Kasma's stomach causing the Namekian to cough up spit and blood. " _I've got to be quick since this technique won't last long!_ "

Eying Vegeta in the distance also clutching at his own eyes, Seven moved his arm over Kasma's neck, pinching it at the inner elbow, and eagerly rushed at the Saiyan warrior while pulling a choking Kasma along for the ride.

"Now for the _Prince_!" He shouted.

Kasma struggled to breathe and fight back but was quickly thrust forward before he could act and plowed into an unsuspecting Vegeta.

Seven had stopped his charge as soon as he was within reaching distance of Vegeta blindly rubbing his eyes.

"I'm going to kill you-OOF!" Vegeta cried as Kasma collided with the Saiyan's body with such force that they both were sent plowing across the battle scarred landscape and into a heap of boulders and trees several hundred feet away.

Explosions of rock and dirt rained across the ground as Seven smiled with menacing pleasure at his assault.

" _Damn! I still need more energy to kill them but this will have to do for now!_ " Seven thought determinedly as he charged up two large yellow Ki balls around his hands and arms." _Though if I can summon the dragon, it won't matter anymore!_ "

"I swear I will finish our mission!" he called aloud. "I will bring Father back to life and then absorb every last Namekian on this miserable heap of rock called a planet!"

"He'll what?!" Cargo shouted in despair as the young Namekian managed to regain his eyesight more quickly due to his distance from the technique. "Vegeta! Kasma! Where are you guys?!"

Taking quick note of Cargo in the sky as he readied to fire his energy Seven puzzled aloud "What is a little gnat doing here? Hmm, maybe I'll give him a little scare before I go!"

Seven thrust his hands forward, palms facing toward the pile of rubble where Vegeta and Kasma lay, and combining the charging balls of Ki into one mass, he fired an enormous beam of yellow energy nearly the size of a two-story house in their direction.

It made contact seconds later with their location and erupted the land into a mushroom cloud of dirt debris several hundred feet tall and wide.

Cargo was flung away from the force of the explosion and crashed in a shallower area of the nearby lake.

Slightly out of breath but still satisfied with his little revenge, Seven lowered his Ki to virtually nothing and dashed over to the unsuspecting Cargo.

Cargo managed to pull his soaking body out of the water and collapsed onto his knees in the sand.

A sudden blur of blue appeared in front of him and he cried out in surprise to see Seven staring back at him with a devilish grin and tail swishing with anticipation.

" _Well aren't the memories in my cells just stirring with warnings about this young Namekian! Maybe I can put that to use!_ " Six thought gleefully.

"So, what is a little fly like you doing in a place where the titans were battling, hmm?" Seven chided at Cargo.

Finding his thoughts as terror crept over him, Cargo mustered a quick "I came to watch my companions beat you!"

"Hmph, I feel like the more I look at you the more I think you're only telling half the truth," Seven cooed.

Cargo glared back with continued defiance and said, "It's the truth! And I know that they're going to win!"

"Well maybe if you were able to heal them you might!" Seven replied with a smirk as Cargo stared at him with an open mouth in shock. "Yeah. You see, I already knew that one of your Namekian brothers could do that too."

Cargo felt a sinking feeling in his stomach and gulped in fear but replied defiantly, "Well, you're wrong! I don't have any energy to do that now and I won't heal the likes of you anyway!"

Seven gave a quick sharp laugh before grabbing Cargo's clothes at his neckline and lifted a struggling Cargo up to be face to face with him.

"I would expect no less my little bug!" Seven said gleefully. "But the more I think about it, you might be very valuable to your people right now, along with your Grand Elder. We'll see if we can't convince them to get me what I want!"

Before Cargo could give a reply, Seven gave a quick sharp chop to the side of the young Namekian's head and Cargo fell unconscious from the shock.

Acting quickly, Seven slung Cargo over his shoulders and sped off on foot in the opposite direction of the large and slowly dissipating cloud of dirt.

"Yes! I feel more energy rich beings off in this direction!" Seven yelled excitedly as he traversed water and earth at rapid speeds. "It must be the Namekians and a lot of them are in one general location! It won't be long now!"

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Another chapter out! Seems to be some questions/concerns over the possibilities of a Videl/Gohan pairing regarding this story. Well, I can say for certain that Videl will be in the story but with such an abundance of stories out there about those two getting together, this just won't be one where they do. Nothing against it at all! It's just that I have seen it done a lot myself and want to add something different to the community. Sorry to any G/V or V/G fans.

Thanks for reading through all the craziness!


End file.
